CONCATENATION: definition and examples

In literature, especially in poetry, different rhetorical devices in order to give shape and beauty to written texts. Although there are many of them, in this lesson from a TEACHER we want to focus on the concatenation, its definition and examples. This is included within the rhetorical figures based on repetition that are one of the most used in the lyrical genre.

First of all, it is necessary to make a definition of what concatenation is. It's about a literary resource used mostly in poetry whose basis is repetition of words or verses that always appear linked and chained.

Therefore, a concatenation is the action of joining and chain concepts creating a sequence. This word comes from Latin and literally means: action and effect of joining elements to form a chain.

The term is generic and therefore can be used in different disciplines such as science, programming or literature. The elements that are part of this chain join others to form a new concept.

In our case, we are interested in knowing what concatenation is in literature, therefore, knowing that it is a

union of elements that make up a chain, we must point out that this discipline, a concatenation is a Figure of speech. This consists of a constant repetition of the last word or expression of the previous sentence. That is, a verse begins in the same way that the previous one ended. Although it is a figure used mostly in poetry, we can also find it in prose. We are going to see an example of each of them.

The boy looks at his sisterof him, his sister Look at the dog and the dog the tail is chased.

In this case it is a sentence in which the different elements are united by means of a repetition. We can see the words that are repeated marked in bold. Next we will see an example with this fragment of Everything happens and everything is from Antonio Machado:

Everything happens and everything is,

but ours is happen,

happen doing roads

roads over the sea.

This literary figure can also be referred to as conduplication and it is the result of the union, as we have already seen. On the other hand, we must point out that this is the result of the repeated use of another rhetorical figure: the anadiplosis.

What is anadiplosis

At this point and bearing in mind that concatenation is a reiteration of the use of anadiplosis, it is necessary to make a brief approach to this context. Thus, we can point out that anadiplosis is a rhetorical figure consisting of the repetition of the same word at the end of one verse and the beginning of the next. The repeated use of it is what will make the concatenation appear.

Now that you know the definition of concatenation, you need to see a few examples so that you can strengthen your knowledge. Nothing better than doing it in a practical way with the following texts:

Pay attention to this poem by Salvador Díaz Mirón in which you will find the repetitions marked in bold:

I would like in myself confuse you,

confuse you in myself and miss you;

I would like in perfume turn you,

turn you in perfume and breathe you in.

In this case we are going to see a fragment of Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes:

And just as the cat is said to little while, the little while to string, the string to the stick; the muleteer gave Sancho, Sancho to girl, the girl to him, the innkeeper to the girl.

Luis de Góngora used this literary figure in the following way:

That the rays of the moon

they discovered their shields;

the shields they warned

to the mutes watchtowers,

the watchtowers the fires,

the fires to the bells.

For its part, we can also find another example in this anonymous poem:

In the sea there is a tower,

on the tower a window,

and in the window a girl.

In this way, Tirso de Molina also used it in the following verses:

There is no creature without love,

neither love without jealousy perfect,

nor jealousy free of tricks,

neither tricks without foundation.

This poem by Antonio Machado also uses concatenation as a rhetorical figure:

The square has a tower,

The tower have a balcony,

the balcony has a Lady,

the Lady a white flower

Finally this poem by Rafael Alberti entitled If my voice died on land

Oh my decorated voice
with the sailor insignia:
over the heart a anchor
and about him anchor a star
and about the star the wind
and about him wind a candle!

In this lesson from a TEACHER we have seen concatenation: examples and definition. You can find more information about different contents of Spanish language in our sections with which you can continue learning at your own pace and from your home. We hope that this content has been useful to you and that you can continue to implement your knowledge of Linguistics and Grammar.