Synchysis: A Rhetorical Device

Synchysis: Etymology/Term, Literal and Conceptual Meanings

Etymology/Term:

The term “synchysis” originates from the Greek word “synkhis,” meaning a confused or entangled arrangement. In rhetoric and grammar, synchysis refers to a figure of speech characterized by a deliberate, intricate interlocking or scrambling of words in a sentence, creating a complex and puzzling structure.

Literal Meaning:

• Word Scrambling: Synchysis involves the intentional rearrangement of words in a sentence, disrupting the typical syntactical order. This can result in a challenging and convoluted structure that requires careful parsing.

Conceptual Meaning:

• Expressive Ambiguity: Synchysis is often employed to convey a sense of ambiguity or complexity in language. By jumbling the usual word order, it can create a poetic or artistic effect, challenging the reader or listener to unravel the intended meaning.
• Emphasis and Attention: The deliberate disarray in synchysis can draw attention to specific words or ideas, highlighting them in a way that a more straightforward sentence structure might not achieve.

Synchysis: Definition as a Rhetorical Device

Synchysis is a rhetorical device characterized by the deliberate and artful rearrangement of words in a sentence, departing from conventional syntactic order. This figurative technique introduces complexity and ambiguity into language by interweaving words in an intricate manner. It is often employed to create expressive effects, emphasizing certain elements and prompting a more thoughtful engagement with the text.

Synchysis: Types and Examples in Everyday Life

Type of Synchysis	Example
Interlocked Placement	Latin: “Veni, vidi, vici” (I came, I saw, I conquered)
Crossed Placement	Yoda’s speech in Star Wars: “Much to learn, you still have.”
Interrupted Placement	Shakespearean: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.”

In interlocked placement, words are arranged in a direct sequence, forming a pattern. Crossed placement involves a crisscross arrangement, while interrupted placement disrupts the flow with interspersed elements. These examples illustrate the versatility of synchysis in creating varied rhetorical effects.

Synchysis: 10 Examples in Everyday Life

1. Casual Disruption:
   • Original: “I love your new dress.”
   • Synchysis: “Your new dress, I love.”
2. Playful Emphasis:
   • Original: “She always surprises me.”
   • Synchysis: “Surprises me, she always does.”
3. Expressive Ambiguity:
   • Original: “I’ll never forget that day.”
   • Synchysis: “Forget that day, I’ll never.”
4. Interrupted Placement for Drama:
   • Original: “He’s a true friend.”
   • *Synchysis: “True, he’s a friend.”
5. Reflective Tone:
   • Original: “We should cherish our memories.”
   • Synchysis: “Cherish, we should, our memories.”
6. Inquisitive Structure:
   • Original: “Why did you choose this path?”
   • Synchysis: “Choose this path, why did you?”
7. Contrast and Complexity:
   • Original: “The day was bright, but my mood was gloomy.”
   • Synchysis: “Bright was the day, gloomy my mood.”
8. Narrative Intricacy:
   • Original: “She entered the room, and everything changed.”
   • Synchysis: “Entered the room, and changed everything, she did.”
9. Sequential Intertwining:
   • Original: “First, we need a plan. Then, we can take action.”
   • Synchysis: “A plan first, then action we can take.”
10. Elevated Speech for Effect:
    • Original: “The journey was difficult, but the destination was worth it.”
    • Synchysis: “Difficult was the journey, worth it the destination.”

These examples showcase how synchysis can naturally find its way into everyday conversation, adding a touch of flair and altering the typical word order for various rhetorical effects.

Synchysis in Literature: Shakespearean Examples

1. From “Hamlet”:
   • Original: “To be or not to be, that is the question.”
   • Example: “To be or not to be, that question is.”
2. From “Macbeth”:
   • Original: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.”
   • Example: “Fair is foul, and foul fair is.”
3. From “Othello”:
   • Original: “He hath a daily beauty in his life.”
   • Example: “A beauty in his life, he hath daily.”
4. From “Romeo and Juliet”:
   • Original: “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”
   • Example: “Such sweet sorrow, parting is.”
5. From “Julius Caesar”:
   • Original: “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.”
   • Example: “Friends, Romans, countrymen, your ears lend me.”
6. From “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”:
   • Original: “The course of true love never did run smooth.”
   • Example: “The course of true love never smooth did run.”
7. From “Twelfth Night”:
   • Original: “If music be the food of love, play on.”
   • Example: “If music the food of love be, play on.”
8. From “King Lear”:
   • Original: “Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks!”
   • Example: “Blow, winds, and your cheeks crack!”
9. From “The Tempest”:
   • Original: “We are such stuff as dreams are made on.”
   • Example: “We are such stuff on which dreams are made.”
10. From “As You Like It”:
    • Original: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”
    • Example: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women players merely are.”

These examples illustrate Shakespeare’s adept use of it to create memorable and rhetorically rich lines in his plays. The intentional rearrangement of words contributes to the poetic and dramatic impact of his language.

Synchysis in Literature: Examples

1. From “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald:
   • Original: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
   • Synchysis: “So we beat on, boats against the current, ceaselessly into the past borne back.”
2. From “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez:
   • Original: “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.”
   • Synchysis: “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that afternoon distant when his father took him to discover ice.”
3. From “1984” by George Orwell:
   • Original: “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.”
   • Synchysis: “Peace is war. Slavery is freedom. Strength is ignorance.”
4. From “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley:
   • Original: “Ending is better than mending.”
   • Synchysis: “Ending is mending better than.”
5. From “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee:
   • Original: “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”
   • Synchysis: “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. Breathing does not one love.”
6. From “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger:
   • Original: “People never notice anything.”
   • Synchysis: “People anything never notice.”
7. From “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway:
   • Original: “He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish.”
   • Synchysis: “He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and eighty-four days now had gone without taking a fish.”
8. From “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen:
   • Original: “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me.”
   • Synchysis: “Tolerable she is, but not handsome enough to tempt me.”
9. From “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy:
   • Original: “Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more gray each one than what had gone before.”
   • Synchysis: “Nights beyond darkness dark and the days more gray each one than what had gone before.”
10. From “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka:
    • Original: “I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself.”
    • Synchysis: “I cannot make you understand. Inside me, I cannot make anyone understand what is happening. Even explain it to myself, I cannot.”

These examples showcase the diverse ways in which it is employed by various authors to convey meaning and enhance the literary impact of their works.

Synchysis in Literature: Relevance in Literary Theories

Literary Theory	Description	Relevance of Synchysis
Structuralism	Focuses on the underlying structures and patterns in literature.	Synchysis challenges traditional syntactic structures, offering a unique approach to language organization within the structuralist framework.
Deconstruction	Seeks to expose and subvert binary oppositions and fixed meanings.	It disrupts conventional word order, destabilizing fixed linguistic structures and inviting multiple interpretations.
New Criticism	Emphasizes close reading of the text and analysis of its formal elements.	It, as a formal element, is subject to close scrutiny, revealing its impact on the text’s overall meaning and aesthetic appeal.
Reader-Response Theory	Focuses on the reader’s subjective response to a text.	It can evoke varied responses by altering the reading experience, prompting readers to engage with the text in different ways.
Postmodernism	Rejects grand narratives and embraces fragmentation and complexity.	It aligns with postmodern ideals by introducing complexity and fragmentation into language, challenging linear and cohesive narrative structures.

In the context of literary theories, it holds significance by challenging, complementing, or aligning with various theoretical frameworks. Its intentional disruption of language conventions allows scholars and critics to explore diverse perspectives and interpretations within these theoretical paradigms.

Synchysis in Literature: Relevant Terms

Term	Definition
Syntactic Disruption	The intentional deviation from standard sentence structures.
Rhetorical Device	A technique used to enhance expression and impact in language.
Inversion	The reversal of the normal word order in a sentence.
Figurative Language	Non-literal expressions, such as metaphors and similes, used for rhetorical effect.
Word Order	The arrangement of words in a sentence or phrase.
Poetic Technique	Crafting elements in poetry, including structure, language, and rhythm, for artistic effect.
Stylistic Innovation	Creative and unconventional language use to achieve a distinct literary style.
Ambiguity	The quality of having multiple interpretations or unclear meanings.
Aesthetic Impact	The effect of language choices on the overall beauty and appeal of a literary work.
Literary Craft	The skillful use of language and literary devices in the creation of a work of literature.

Synchysis in Literature: Suggested Readings

1. Butler, Christopher. Structure and Function: A Guide to Three Major Structural-Functional Theories. John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2003.
2. Eagleton, Terry. Literary Theory: An Introduction. Wiley, 2008.
3. Genette, Gérard. Paratexts: Thresholds of Interpretation. Cambridge University Press, 1997.
4. Lanham, Richard A. A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms. University of California Press, 1991.
5. Leitch, Vincent B., et al. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. W.W. Norton & Company, 2001.
6. Lodge, David. The Art of Fiction. Vintage, 1992.
7. Oliver, Mary. A Poetry Handbook. Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994.
8. Rimmon-Kenan, Shlomith. Narrative Fiction: Contemporary Poetics. Routledge, 2002.
9. Shklovsky, Viktor. Theory of Prose. Dalkey Archive Press, 1990.
10. Toolan, Michael J. Narrative: A Critical Linguistic Introduction. Routledge, 2001.