Parataxis: A Literary Device

Etymology of Parataxis

Parataxis is a linguistic term derived from the Greek words “para,” meaning “beside,” and “taxis,” meaning “arrangement.” In syntax, parataxis is a literary device used to connect clauses or phrases in a sentence without using conjunctions or subordinate clauses. This style creates a simple, direct, and concise sentence structure.

Meanings of Parataxis

Context	Usage of Parataxis	Effect
Literature	Often conveys immediacy, spontaneity, or fragmentation.	Creates a list-like effect highlighting distinctness of each item.
Formal and Technical Writing	Used to present facts or arguments straightforwardly.	Facilitates clarity and precision in conveying information.
Creating Ambiguity	The absence of conjunctions can lead to multiple meanings.	Introduces ambiguity, allowing for various interpretations of the sentence’s meaning.

Parataxis in Grammar

Grammatical Structure of Parataxis:

• Parataxis is a type of sentence structure that consists of coordinating clauses or phrases without any conjunctions or subordinating elements.

Characteristics of Paratactic Constructions:

• In paratactic constructions, the clauses or phrases are placed side by side, creating a simple and direct relationship between them.

Contrast with Hypotaxis:

• This type of syntax is in contrast to hypotaxis, where clauses are subordinated to each other with the use of conjunctions, relative pronouns, or other subordinating elements.

Effects of Parataxis:

• Parataxis can be used to create a variety of effects, such as emphasizing the equal importance of each clause, creating a rapid and staccato rhythm, or conveying a sense of immediacy or spontaneity.

Definition of Parataxis

Parataxis is a literary device that involves placing phrases or clauses side by side without using conjunctions or other connecting words. This creates a simple and direct sentence structure.

Parataxis is often used in poetry or other forms of literature to create a sense of immediacy, spontaneity, or fragmentation, and to emphasize the distinctness and independence of each element.

Types of Parataxis

There are different types of parataxis that can be used in writing, each with its own purpose and effect. Here are some examples:

Type	Explanation	Example
Asyndetic parataxis	Involves omitting conjunctions between clauses or phrases, creating a sense of rapidity or urgency.	“I came, I saw, I conquered.”
Polysyndetic parataxis	Involves using multiple conjunctions between clauses or phrases, creating a rhythm or a sense of accumulation.	“I walked and talked and laughed and played.”
Elliptical parataxis	Involves omitting words or phrases that are implied but not stated, creating a sense of brevity or efficiency.	“She went to the store, he to the bank.”
Cumulative	Involves a list-like structure where clauses or phrases accumulate to create a sense of completeness or enumeration.	“She had a dog, a cat, a bird, and a fish.”
Asymmetrical	Involves placing clauses or phrases of unequal length or importance side by side, creating a sense of contrast or emphasis.	“The sun rose, and the world changed forever.”

Common Examples of Parataxis

Parataxis is a common literary device used in various forms of writing, including poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Here are some examples of parataxis:

1. “It is what it is.”
2. “I came, I saw, I conquered.”
3. “The sun rose, the birds sang, the world began again.”
4. “The sky was blue, the sun was hot, the water was cool.”
5. “She laughed, she cried, she danced with joy.”
6. “He ran, he jumped, he climbed to the top of the mountain.”
7. “The wind blew, the trees swayed, the leaves rustled.”
8. “He ate, he slept, he worked hard every day.”
9. “She smiled, she waved, she said goodbye.”
10. “The rain fell, the thunder roared, the lightning flashed.”

Literary Examples of Parataxis

Example	Explanation as Parataxis
From Shakespeare’s Macbeth: “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more.”	This quote is an example of polysyndetic parataxis, using multiple conjunctions to create a sense of accumulation.
From Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself: “I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.”	This quote is an example of cumulative one, using a list-like structure to create a sense of enumeration.
From Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea: “The old man was thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck. The brown blotches of the benevolent skin cancer the sun brings from its reflection on the tropic sea were on his cheeks. The blotches ran well down the sides of his face and his hands had the deep-creased scars from handling heavy fish on the cords.”	This quote is an example of elliptical parataxis, omitting words or phrases that are implied but not stated, creating a sense of brevity or efficiency.
From T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land”: “The river’s tent is broken; the last fingers of leaf Clutch and sink into the wet bank.”	This quote is an example of asymmetrical parataxis, placing clauses or phrases of unequal length or importance side by side, creating a sense of contrast or emphasis.
From Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl”: “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix, angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night.”	This quote is an example of asyndetic parataxis, omitting conjunctions between clauses or phrases, creating a sense of rapidity or urgency.

Suggested Readings

1. Deleuze, Gilles. Difference and Repetition. Translated by Paul Patton, Columbia University Press, 1994.
2. Genette, Gérard. Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method. Translated by Jane E. Lewin, Cornell University Press, 1983.
3. Johnson, Barbara. The Critical Difference: Essays in the Contemporary Rhetoric of Reading. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1981.
4. McHale, Brian. Postmodernist Fiction. Routledge, 2003.
5. Prince, Gerald. A Dictionary of Narratology. University of Nebraska Press, 2003.