27. Syntactic expressive means and stylistic devices (suspense, antithesis, asyndeton, polysyndeton, gap-sentence link).

Suspense (ретардация, замедление) is a compositional device, which consists in arranging the matter of communication in such a way that the less important parts are put at the beginning, the main idea being withheld till the end of the sentence. Thus the reader's attention is held and his interest kept up.

E.g. My life, until the drama which brought it so significantly to a climax, had been an uneventful one [I. Murdoch]. 

E.g. At last, after seeing her several times in one week, at a distance and never once alone, he made a desperate throw and spoke to her [J.B. Priestley].

The term Suspense can be also used in literary criticism to denote uncertainty about the outcome of the plot. There is a phrase to hold smb in suspense which means to postpone the final solution. Detective stories, sometimes thrillers and gothic novels are built up on suspense.

Antithesis (антитеза, противопоставление) is a stylistic device, which denotes confrontation, emphasizing co-occurrence of notions, really or presumably contrastive. The two opposed notions may refer to the same object of thought or different objects. This device is used to demonstrate the contradictory nature of the referent, to compare things through a contrast and to attribute rhythm to the utterance. This device is often signaled by the introductory conjunctions but or and. Antithesis is often found in parallel constructions.

E.g. Don`t use big words, they mean so little [O. Wilde].

E.g. But had she been going, what an opportunity would have afforded her of seeing the man whose influence was penetrating her like summer sun! To increase that influence was coveted excitement; to cast it off might be to regain serenity; to leave as it stood was tantalizing [Th. Hardy].

Asyndeton (бессоюзие) is used as a stylistic device if there is a deliberate omission of the connective where it is generally expected to be according to the norms of the literary language. The absence of the connective may have different implications. It can indicate tense, activities or show a succession of actions. Besides, it can impart dynamic force to the syntactic unit.

E.g. I imagined I`d stay away all night, I`d seen myself staying away and thinking, I was quite looking forward to it, but sleep simply took me, unconsciousness rushed over me, I couldn't even undress, it was as if my mind ran straight into oblivion, it had to [I. Murdoch].

E.g. The noise was terrible, shattering: hundreds of tin buckets were being kicked down flights of stone steps; walls of houses were falling in; ships were going down; ten thousand people were screaming with toothache; steam hammers were breaking loose; whole warehouses of oilcloth were being stormed [J.B. Priestley].

Polysyndeton (многосоюзие) is a stylistic device opposite to asyndeton. It consists  of repeating connectives before each component part. The repetition of connectives makes an utterance more rhythmical. Polysyndeton is used to create the atmosphere of bustling activity. Sometimes it underlines the simultaneity of actions, discloses the connection of properties enumerated (their equal significance), imparts rhythm, and promotes a high-flown tonality of narrative. Besides, polysyndeton has a disintegrating function. It generally combines homogeneous elements of thought into one whole resembling enumeration. But unlike enumeration polysyndeton causes each member of a string of facts to stand out conspicuously. 

E.g. He was stout and not tall, with copious grayish longish frizzy hair and a round face and a slightly hooked nose and big very red lips and eyes set very close together [I. Murdoch]. 

E.g. They come running to clean and cut and pack and cook and can the fish [J. Steinbeck].

The Gap-Sentence Link (присоединение) is a peculiar type of connection of sentences. The connection is not immediately obvious and it requires a certain brain-strain to grasp the interrelation between the parts of the utterance. As a stylistic device the gap-sentence link has various functions. It may serve to signal the introduction of inner represented speech; it may be used to indicate a subjective evaluation of the facts; it may introduce an effect resulting from a cause, which has already had verbal expression.

E.g. It had been long agreed, with all the delicacy that might be expected from his good breeding and Julia`s good heart, in no definite words, but guarded hints and remote allusiveness, that if anything happened to Michael, Lady Charles should somehow or other be disposed of and they would then marry. But Michael had perfect health [W.S. Maugham].

E.g. Give me an example…Of something that means something. In your opinion [T. Capote].