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Topic : Re: "Variation" and "symmetry" in a sentence I always find myself wondering whether to add add "variation" or "symmetry" to a sentence. Most of the time I can't make out my mind. Few examples: - selfpublishingguru.com

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Factors you're playing with. First I'll call out a number of factors that you're playing with in addition to variety and symmetry:

Rhythm. Adding or omitting "tall" in the first example shifts the rhythm of the sentence.
Sonority (lyrically?). Adding or omitting "Asian" in your second example changes the way the sentence flows off the tongue. It feels like of slurry to me. Something about all of the a's and n's in a row.
Precision. Each time you add a modifier, you make the image more precise. But it may also make a construction more ambiguous. Does "tall" modify banana plants, or only bamboo?
Wordiness. Each time you add a modifier, you make the sentence wordier.

Additional factors to play with.
A few other factors that remain the same throughout your examples, but which you can also play with:

Word choice. A modifier+noun pair compared with a more precise noun.
Word order. If you shift "tall bamboo" to the end, it's clear that "tall" modifies only bamboo.
What goes at the end of a sentence. I noticed that both of your examples are at the ends of sentences. The end of a sentence is a special place. That's a great place to put new or surprising or powerful ideas.
List rhythm and ordering. It is often easier for readers to parse a list if the shorter items appear toward the beginning of the list, and the longer items appear toward the end. Consider "elephants and three-wheeled bikes." (I like elephants at the end here. For me, the surprise of elephants outweighs the length thing.)
Sentence and paragraph construction. Left as an exercise for the reader.

These factors all bump into each other, contradict each other, support each other. Fiddling with one also affects the others.

Voice is kinda the sum of your choices about these things. The way you choose becomes your unique voice.

As others have mentioned, this is a matter of taste. Your question tells me that you care about this, and that the distinctions you're struggling with are subtle and interesting.

I'm confident that you'll do just fine, whatever you choose.


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