Final answer:
The phrase 'split asunder' suggests a forceful or violent separation into parts, often used both literally and metaphorically in various contexts such as literature and history.
Step-by-step explanation:
The use of the phrase split asunder suggests that something has been divided or forcibly separated into parts. This expression typically implies a violent or abrupt division. For instance, in literature, splitting asunder might be used metaphorically to describe something like the separation of form and content in a poem, where paraphrasing a poem can destroy its essence by separating its beauty and structure ('form') from its meaning ('content'). Similarly, in history, a political body might be split asunder, as in the case where one part of a nation forcibly separates itself from another, an action that would often be accompanied by a formal declaration explaining the necessity of such a split.