I recently took a bit of a break because sickness, teaching, and writing literally weighed a ton on my soul. Now, I am trying to get back into the swing of writing for pleasure after nearly a month off. I would call this an “abrupt change,” in my life. It gave me pause, as many of my bouts of sickness tend to do–stress and anxiety creep up on me.
Nevertheless, a pause in life is similar to a pause in speech. It can be an abrupt change, or a shift to a different idea. Today, I would like to look briefly at anacolutha as a bit of a pause. If you’ve never heard of such a thing, then read on!
What is anacolutha?
Anacolutha can be defined as a, “syntactical inconsistency or incoherence within a sentences. especially: a shift in an unfinished sentence from one syntactic construction to another” (Merriam-Webster). In other words, we can understand anacolutha as a break in our sentences. A movement from one idea to another, though they can be unrelated. More often than not, it is used in rhetoric as a means of persuasion. Likewise, it is perceived as a grave grammatical mistake.
As Literary Devices states: “In casual conversation, it is used in such a way that the sentence would not be considered correct grammatically. In written works, however, it is employed to imitate ungrammatical, confused, and informal speech, and to draw the attention of readers.” (literarydevices.net).
Examples
The best example I found of anacoluthon is from King Lear by Shakespeare. The example here appears in one in this passage.
I will have such revenges on you both,
That all the world–I will do such things,
What they are, yet I know not.
(Shakespeare)
Take notice of the break in thought. First, it is about revenge. Then, the reader can sense the frustration of the speaker. Suddenly, the narrative changes.
I will do such things.
It’s a change in tone and masks the violence in the speakers words by interrupting the thought.
Conclusion
Anacoluthon is used in every day speech, yet we don’t acknowledge it. If you are like me, you speak in asides. As in, I was doing this (and also this), and here is the outcome. These types of speech patterns happen often. Recognizing anacoluthon then allows you to add it to your own dialogue, enriching the reading experience. So, stop the next time you are having a conversation, and consider your asides. Maybe that is just what your next chunk of dialogue needs.
Works Cited
Anacoluthon Examples. softschools.com/examples/literary_terms/anacoluthon_examples/260/.
Definition of ANACOLUTHON. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anacoluthon. Accessed 7 Dec.
Shakespeare. “King Lear.” Methuen and Co., https://www.stmarys-ca.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/files/The_Tragedy_of_King_Lear.pdf. Accessed 7 Dec. 2021.
