Antithesis & Polysyndeton & Suspense

Polysyndeton This is a device opposite to asyndeton: a repeated use of the same connectors (conjunctions, prepositions) before several parts of the sentence, which increases the emotional impact of the text: Should you ask me, whence these stories? Whence these legends and traditions,

With the odours of the forest, With the dew, and damp of meadows. With the curling smoke of wigwams, With the rushing of great rivers, With their frequent repetitions... (Longfellow) Antithesis This denotes a structure that stresses a sharp contrast in meaning between the parts within one sentence: Art is long, life is short; One man's meat is another man's poison; Some people are wise, some otherwise. (B. Shaw) As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him; but as he was ambitious, I slew him. There's tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honour for his valour, and death for his ambition. (Shakespeare) Youth is full ofpleasance, Age is full of care; Youth like summer morn, Age like winter weather (ib.) Suspense

This is a compositional device by which the less important part of the message is in some way separated from the main part, and the latter is given only at the end of the sentence, so that the reader is kept in suspense. 'Mankind', says a Chinese manuscript, which my friend was obliging enough to read and explain to me, for the first seventy thousand ages ate their meat raw'. (Ch. Lamb)