Anacoluthon facts for kids
An anacoluthon (say it: an-uh-kuh-LOO-thon) is a special way a sentence can be put together. It happens when a sentence starts one way but then suddenly changes its direction or grammar. It's like you're building a sentence, and halfway through, you switch to a different plan. This can make the sentence sound a bit jumbled or incomplete.
For example, an old Italian saying goes: "The good stuff – think about it." This sentence starts by talking about "the good stuff," but then it quickly changes to "think about it." The two parts don't quite connect perfectly, but you still understand the meaning: choose wisely!
Sometimes, anacoluthon happens by accident, and it can make a sentence confusing. But writers and speakers can also use it on purpose. They might use it to make you think more deeply. Or, in a type of writing called "stream of consciousness," it can show how our thoughts often jump around.
You hear anacoluthon a lot in everyday talk. Someone might start to say something, then stop and suddenly say something completely different. When this kind of speech is written down, you might see a dash (—) where the change happens. Even if the first part of the sentence isn't finished, it can still give you a general idea of what the speaker meant.
Examples
Here are some examples of anacoluthon from famous writers:
"Had ye been there – for what could that have done?" (John Milton in Lycidas)
In this line, the poet John Milton starts with "Had ye been there," as if he's going to explain what would happen if someone was there. But then he quickly changes to "for what could that have done?" This shows a sudden shift in his thoughts.
In his epic poem Paradise Lost, John Milton uses an anacoluthon when the character Satan first speaks. This helps show how confused Satan is at that moment:
"If thou beest he; but O how fallen! How changed" (I.83)
Satan begins by saying "If thou beest he," as if he's going to finish that thought. But then he breaks off and cries out, "but O how fallen! How changed!" This sudden change in the sentence shows his shock and sadness.
Where the Word Comes From
The word anacoluthon comes from the Greek word anakólouthon. This Greek word is made of two parts:
- an- which means "not"
- akólouthos which means "following"
So, anacoluthon literally means "not following" or "not going together." This is similar to the Latin phrase non sequitur, which means "it does not follow" in logic. In ancient times, anacoluthon could mean both a mistake in logic and a sudden change in how a sentence was built.
How the Term is Used
The word "anacoluthon" is mostly used in schools and universities, especially when people study writing, speeches, or poetry. For example, a famous English style guide called The King's English by H. W. Fowler and F. G. Fowler talks about it as a common grammar mistake.
They wrote that anacoluthon is "a failure to follow on." It's like a writer unconsciously switches from one grammar path to another. This might not be noticed by the writer, but it's very clear to the reader.
You might also hear the word "anacoluthon" in popular culture. For instance, Captain Haddock in The Adventures of Tintin comic books sometimes uses it as a funny exclamation.
The poet and critic Rachel Blau DuPlessis describes anacoluthon as "the grammatical switching of horses in midstream of a sentence." She means starting a sentence one way and ending it another. She thinks it's like a writer is an acrobat, jumping between different ways of speaking in a poem.
See also
In Spanish: Anacoluto para niños
- English as She Is Spoke
- Figure of speech
- Non sequitur (literary device)
- Rhetoric
