Figures of omission

These are figures where you leave out either words or conjunctions for effect, so may be used anywhere where you are looking to emphasize a particular point.

Ellipsis -omission of a word or words readily implied by context. Notice how "go" is implied after "shall" in the following quote from Hamlet:

Example :

And he to England shall along with you

Asyndeton -Omission of conjunctions between a series of clauses.

Example :

The evening whispered perfume, the twilight warmed his eyes, the dancing melted her inhibitions, the second burrito grande spoiled his moment

Brachylogia-Omission of conjunctions between a series of words.

Example :

....and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. —Abraham Lincoln

Note: In the above example, brachylogia occurs between a series of phrases which also exemplify epistrophe.

Polysyndeton -Opposite of asyndeton, the superabundance of conjunctions

Example :

I said, "Who killed him?" and he said, "I don't know who killed him but he's dead all right," and it was dark and there was water standing in the street and no lights and windows broke and boats all up in the town and trees blown down and everything all blown and I got a skiff and went out and found my boat where I had her inside Mango Key and she was all right only she was full of water. —Hemingway, "After the Storm."