Polysyndeton

Polysyndeton is a stylistic figure opposite to asyndeton: the deliberate repetition of conjunctions between homogeneous members of a sentence or its parts. The accumulation of conjunctions (most often "and… and… and…") slows speech, lending it solemnity, measuredness and heft, and also emphasises each element of the enumeration as separate and significant. Polysyndeton creates an effect of duration, continuity or gradual accumulation, and is therefore widely used in the biblical style, in epic narration and in elevated lyric. This figure is closely linked to the rhythm and intonation of the phrase and often interacts with anaphora. As a means of expressive syntax, polysyndeton deliberately regulates the tempo of reading, lending the utterance a particular concentration.