Polysyndetons involve the use of several conjunctions (and, but, etc.) in quick succession to link words or clauses.

Examples:

“Let the whitefolks have their money and power and segregation and sarcasm and big houses and schools and lawns like carpets, and books, and mostly—mostly—let them have their whiteness.” (Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings)

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers.” (United States Postal Service Creed)

Polysendetons are used for several reasons that can be put into three main categories: rhythm, emphasis, and emotion. Rhythm: polysyndetons change the rhythm of speech, often slowing it down. Emphasis: writers often use polysendetons to give equal emphasis to each word or phrase between the conjunctions or to emphasize the extent of something. The Postal Creed is an example of this because the repetition of “nor” emphasizes the promise to deliver mail despite any and all potential obstacles. Emotions: this figure and its rhythm can be used to express emotions like excitement, anxiety, or exhilaration. There is a lot of interplay between these functions, as seen in the first example. The repeated use of “and” slows down the rhythm, emphasizes the numerous privileges that white people have, and engenders a feeling of exhilaration and empowerment over this injustice.

Polysyndetons in artifacts:

“It’s got awesome security. And the right apps. It’s got everything from Cocoa and the graphics and it’s got core animation built in and it’s got the audio and video that OS X is famous for. It’s got all the stuff we want.” (Steve Jobs, Keynote Address, Macworld 2007)

Polysyndeton section: 8:54

Steve Jobs used a polysyndeton in his introduction of the original iPhone in 2007 to emphasize all of the great features of the phone’s operating system. The speech was intended to introduce the world to the iPhone and get people excited about the product’s launch. This figure that he used in itself got people excited about the product by listing its numerous cutting-edge features. I believe this statement was memorable and effective in a way that wouldn’t be achieved with a simple listing of the features. The split in the rhythm created with the conjunctions emphasizes each individual feature the iPhone has to offer and just how many of those features there are.