Quote by Arthur Quinn, Figures of Speech,

The omission of an expected conjunction is called an asyndeton. Caesar is supposed to have said about Gaul: I came, I saw, I conquered. Lincoln concluded the Gettysburg Address, That government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.Caesar seems to have omitted his conjunction to speed things up; he is emphasizing how quickly the conquest of a place follows from its being sighted by a great and ambitious general. Lincoln's omission is more subtle


The omission of an expected conjunction is called an asyndet

Summary

: quoting Caesar, intentionally leaving out a conjunction between "I came," "I saw," and "I conquered," emphasizes the swift and decisive nature of his conquest of Gaul. Lincoln's use of an asyndeton in the Gettysburg Address, purposely omitting conjunctions between "of the people," "by the people," and "for the people," suggests a unity and indivisibility of the government and its people. While Caesar's omission is more straightforward, Lincoln's subtle asyndeton serves a rhetorical purpose to emphasize the enduring nature of a government formed by and for the people.

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By Arthur Quinn, Figures of Speech,
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