9.2.2. Detached Construction

One of the secondary parts of a sentence by some specific consideration of the writer is placed so that it seems formally independent of the word it logically refers to. Such parts of structures are called detached (4) They seem to dangle in the sentence as isolated parts. The detached part assumes a greater degree of significance and is given prominence by intonation. The structural patterns of detached constructions have not yet been classified, but the most noticeable cases are those in which an attri­bute or an adverbial modifier is placed not in immediate proximity to its referent, but in some other position:

1) "Steyne rose up, grinding his teeth, pale, and with fury in his eyes". (Thackeray)

2) "Sir Pitt came in first, very much flushed, and rather unsteady in his gait." (Thackeray)

Sometimes a nominal phrase is thrown into the sentence forming a syntactical unit with the rest of the sentence:

"And he walked slowly past again, along the river—an evening of clear, quiet beauty, all harmony and comfort, except within his heart." (Galsworthy)

The essential quality of detached construction is that the isolated parts represent a kind of independent whole thrust into the sentence or placed in a position which will make the phrase (or word) seem independent But a detached phrase cannot rise to the rank of a primary member of the sentence—it always remains secondary from the semantic point of view, although structurally it possesses all the fea­tures of a primary member. This clash of the structural and semantic aspects of detached constructions produces the desired effect—forcing the reader to interpret the logical connections between the component parts of the sentence. Logical ties between them always exist in spite of the absence of syntactical indicators.

Detached constructions in their common forms make the written variety of language akin to the spoken variety where the relation be­tween the component parts is effectively materialized by means of into­nation.

This stylistic device is akin to inversion. The functions are almost the same. But detached construction produces a much stronger effect, inasmuch as it presents parts of the utterance significant from the au­thor's point of view in a more or less independent manner.

"Daylight was dying, the moon rising, gold behind the poplars." (Galsworthy)

'"I want to go,' he said, miserable." (Galsworthy) "She was lovely: all of her—delightful” (Dreiser)

The italicized phrases and words in these sentences seem to be isolat­ed, but still the connection with the primary members of the correspond­ing sentences is clearly implied.

A variant of detached construction is parenthesis.

“Parenthesis is a qualifying, explanatory or appositive word, phrase, clause, sentence which interrupts a syntactical construction without affecting it, having a characteristic intonation and indicated by commas, brackets or dashes.”

9.2.3. Parallel Construction

Parallel construction (5) is a device which may be encoun­tered not so much in the sentence as in the macro-structures. The necessary condition in par­allel construction is identical, or similar, syntactical structure in two or more sentences or parts of a sentence in close succession:

"There were real silver spoons to stir the tea with, and real china cups to drink it out of, and plates of the same to hold the cakes and toast in". (Dickens)

Parallel constructions are backed up by repetition of words (lexical repetition) and conjunctions and prepositions (polysyndeton). Pure parallel construction does not depend on any other kind of repetition but the repetition of the syntactical design of the sentence.

. Parallel constructions may be partial or complete. Partial parallel arrangement is the repetition of some parts of successive sentences or clauses:

"It is the mob that labour in your fields and serve in your houses—that man your navy and recruit your army,—that have ena­bled you to defy all the world, and can also defy you when neglect and calamity have driven them to despair." (Byron)

Complete parallel arrangement, also called baIance, maintains the principle of identical structures throughout the corresponding sen­tences:

"The seeds ye sow — another reaps,

The robes ye weave—another wears,

The arms ye forge—another bears.

Parallel construction is most frequently used in enumeration, an­tithesis and in climax, thus consolidating the general effect achieved by these stylistic devices.

In the following example parallelism backs up repetition, allitera­tion and antithesis.

"And so, from hour to hour, we ripe and ripe,

And then, from hour to hour, we rot and rot." (Shakespeare)

In this example, parallel construction backs up the rhetorical address and rhetorical questions. The emotional aspect is also enforced by the interjection 'Heaven!'

"Hear me, my mother Earth! behold it, Heaven!—

Have I not had to wrestle with my lot?

Have I not suffered things to be forgiven?

Have I not had my brain seared, my heart riven,

Hopes, sapped, name blighted, Life's life lied away?" (Byron)

In some cases parallelism emphasizes the similarity and equates the significance of the parts:

"Our senses perceive no extremes. Too much sound deafens us; too much light dazzles us; too great distance or proximity hinders our view."

In other cases parallel construction emphasizes diversity and con­trast of ideas.

The device of parallelism generates rhythm, inasmuch as similar syntactical structures repeat in close succession. Parallel construction should be used in poetical structures.