Parataxis
Encyclopedia
Parataxis is a literary technique
, in writing or speaking, that favors short, simple sentence
s, with the use of coordinating rather than subordinating conjunctions. It can be contrasted with hypotaxis
.
It is also used to describe a technique in poetry in which two images or fragments, usually starkly dissimilar images or fragments, are juxtaposed without a clear connection. Readers are then left to make their own connections implied by the paratactic syntax. Ezra Pound
, in his adaptation of Chinese and Japanese poetry, made the stark juxtaposition of images an important part of English language poetry.
in his Greek Grammar (1831). The concept has expanded since then, and a number of definitions have emerged, often conflicting.
The underlying idea, important for understanding of the parataxis, is that in a connected discourse the complete independence of the consecutive sentences rarely exists. This observation is captured in the expression "train of thought
". Consider the following:
In the first example, the two sentences are independent expressions, while the last is that of dependence. However the connection of thought in the first examples is just as real as in the last ones, where it is explicitly expressed via the syntax of subordination
.
In spoken language
, this continuance from sentence to sentence is supported by intonation
and timing (rhythm
, pause
). While details may differ among different languages and cultures, generally similar musicality and shortness of pauses indicate the continuation, while the change of tone and longer pause generally indicate the transition to
another connected group of ideas.
by Charles Dickens
.
Perhaps an even more extreme proponent of the form was Samuel Beckett
. The opening to his monologue "Not I" is a classic example:
Although the use of ellipses here arguably prevents it from being seen as a classic example of parataxis, as a spoken text it operates in precisely that way. Other examples by Beckett would include large chunks of Lucky's famous speech in Waiting for Godot
.
s on the three-sphere. They were first identified by William Kingdon Clifford
in 1873 and are thus called Clifford parallel
s. Paratactic lines are described by the use of versor calculus in the algebra of quaternion
s.
s of the dada
ists and Robert Rauschenberg
to many contemporary music video
s.
Literary technique
A literary technique is any element or the entirety of elements a writer intentionally uses in the structure of their work...
, in writing or speaking, that favors short, simple sentence
Sentence (linguistics)
In the field of linguistics, a sentence is an expression in natural language, and often defined to indicate a grammatical unit consisting of one or more words that generally bear minimal syntactic relation to the words that precede or follow it...
s, with the use of coordinating rather than subordinating conjunctions. It can be contrasted with hypotaxis
Hypotaxis
Hypotaxis is the grammatical arrangement of functionally similar but "unequal" constructs , i.e., constructs playing an unequal role in a sentence....
.
It is also used to describe a technique in poetry in which two images or fragments, usually starkly dissimilar images or fragments, are juxtaposed without a clear connection. Readers are then left to make their own connections implied by the paratactic syntax. Ezra Pound
Ezra Pound
Ezra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet and critic and a major figure in the early modernist movement in poetry...
, in his adaptation of Chinese and Japanese poetry, made the stark juxtaposition of images an important part of English language poetry.
Origin of the term
Edward Morris wrote in 1901 that the term was introduced into linguistics by Friedrich ThierschFriedrich Thiersch
Friedrich Wilhelm Thiersch , was a German classical scholar and educationist.-Biography:He was born at Kirchscheidungen...
in his Greek Grammar (1831). The concept has expanded since then, and a number of definitions have emerged, often conflicting.
Meaning
Parataxis may be considered from three points of view:- the psychological aspect,
- the linguistic means to express the paratactic relation,
- and the resulting sentence structure.
The underlying idea, important for understanding of the parataxis, is that in a connected discourse the complete independence of the consecutive sentences rarely exists. This observation is captured in the expression "train of thought
Train of thought
The train of thought, stream of thought, trail of thought, or chain of thought refers to the interconnection in the sequence of ideas expressed during a connected discourse or thought, as well as the sequence itself, especially in discussion how this sequence leads from one idea to another.When a...
". Consider the following:
- Sun was shining bright. We went for a walk.
- Sun was shining bright; we went for a walk.
- Sun was shining bright, and we went for a walk.
- Sun was shining bright, so we went for a walk.
In the first example, the two sentences are independent expressions, while the last is that of dependence. However the connection of thought in the first examples is just as real as in the last ones, where it is explicitly expressed via the syntax of subordination
Subordination (linguistics)
In linguistics, subordination is a complex syntactic construction in which one or more clauses are dependent on the main clause, such as The dog ran home after it had played with the ball. The italicized text is the subordinate clause...
.
In spoken language
Spoken language
Spoken language is a form of human communication in which words derived from a large vocabulary together with a diverse variety of names are uttered through or with the mouth. All words are made up from a limited set of vowels and consonants. The spoken words they make are stringed into...
, this continuance from sentence to sentence is supported by intonation
Intonation (linguistics)
In linguistics, intonation is variation of pitch while speaking which is not used to distinguish words. It contrasts with tone, in which pitch variation does distinguish words. Intonation, rhythm, and stress are the three main elements of linguistic prosody...
and timing (rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
, pause
Pause
Pause may refer to a rest, hesitation, or temporary stop.Examples:* Fermata, a musical pause of indefinite duration* Pause key, the Pause/Break key on computer keyboards...
). While details may differ among different languages and cultures, generally similar musicality and shortness of pauses indicate the continuation, while the change of tone and longer pause generally indicate the transition to
another connected group of ideas.
Examples
Perhaps the best-known use of parataxis is Julius Caesar's famous quote, "Veni, vidi, vici," or, "I came, I saw, I conquered". An extreme example is the immortal Mr. Jingle's speech in Chapter 2 of The Pickwick PapersThe Pickwick Papers
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club is the first novel by Charles Dickens. After the publication, the widow of the illustrator Robert Seymour claimed that the idea for the novel was originally her husband's; however, in his preface to the 1867 edition, Dickens strenuously denied any...
by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
.
'Come along, then,' said he of the green coat, lugging Mr. Pickwick after him by main force, and talking the whole way. 'Here, No. 924, take your fare, and take yourself off—respectable
gentleman—know him well—none of your nonsense—this way, sir—where's your friends?—all a mistake, I see—never mind—accidents will happen—best regulated families—never say die—down upon your luck—Pull him UP—Put that in his pipe—like the flavour—damned rascals.' And with a lengthened string of similar broken sentences, delivered with extraordinary volubility, the stranger led the way to the traveller's waiting-room, whither he was closely followed by Mr. Pickwick and his disciples.
Perhaps an even more extreme proponent of the form was Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
. The opening to his monologue "Not I" is a classic example:
" . out . . . into this world . . . this world . . . tiny little thing . . . before its time . . . in a godfor– . . . what? . . girl? . . yes . . . tiny little girl . . . into this . . . out into this . . . before her time . . . godforsaken hole called . . . called . . . no matter . . . parents unknown . . . unheard of . . . he having vanished . . . thin air . . . no sooner buttoned up his breeches . . . she similarly . . . eight months later . . . almost to the tick . . . so no love . . . spared that . . . no love such as normally vented on the . . . speechless infant . . . in the home . . . no . . . nor indeed for that matter any of any kind . . . no love of any kind . . . at any subsequent stage" and so on.
Although the use of ellipses here arguably prevents it from being seen as a classic example of parataxis, as a spoken text it operates in precisely that way. Other examples by Beckett would include large chunks of Lucky's famous speech in Waiting for Godot
Waiting for Godot
Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly and in vain for someone named Godot to arrive. Godot's absence, as well as numerous other aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the play's...
.
Paratactic lines
In elliptic space, two lines are paratactic when they are equidistant. Paratactic lines are very difficult to visualize since they are actually arcArc (geometry)
In geometry, an arc is a closed segment of a differentiable curve in the two-dimensional plane; for example, a circular arc is a segment of the circumference of a circle...
s on the three-sphere. They were first identified by William Kingdon Clifford
William Kingdon Clifford
William Kingdon Clifford FRS was an English mathematician and philosopher. Building on the work of Hermann Grassmann, he introduced what is now termed geometric algebra, a special case of the Clifford algebra named in his honour, with interesting applications in contemporary mathematical physics...
in 1873 and are thus called Clifford parallel
Clifford parallel
A Clifford parallel is a line which lies at a constant distance from some "base" line but, unlike an ordinary parallel line, does not lie in the same plane...
s. Paratactic lines are described by the use of versor calculus in the algebra of quaternion
Quaternion
In mathematics, the quaternions are a number system that extends the complex numbers. They were first described by Irish mathematician Sir William Rowan Hamilton in 1843 and applied to mechanics in three-dimensional space...
s.
Other uses
The term parataxis has also been appropriated by some cultural theorists to describe certain works of art or "cultural texts" in which a series of scenes or elements are presented side by side in no particular order or hierarchy. Examples might range from the collageCollage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
s of the dada
Dada
Dada or Dadaism is a cultural movement that began in Zurich, Switzerland, during World War I and peaked from 1916 to 1922. The movement primarily involved visual arts, literature—poetry, art manifestoes, art theory—theatre, and graphic design, and concentrated its anti-war politics through a...
ists and Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg was an American artist who came to prominence in the 1950s transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art. Rauschenberg is well-known for his "Combines" of the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were employed in innovative combinations...
to many contemporary music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s.