The rhetorical technique most used in this excerpt is: Show
Read the excerpt from "A Latina Judge's Voice" by Hon. Sonia Sotomayor. Parallelism is often referred to as one of the basic principles of grammar and rhetoric, and you’ll see its use throughout literature. Parallelism has slightly different meanings, depending on the context, but it’s about balancing the weight or structure of ideas and phrases. In rhetoric, parallelism means balancing two or more ideas or arguments that are equally important. In grammar, it means using phrasing that is grammatically similar or identical in structure, sound, meaning, or meter. As you can see from literary examples, this technique adds symmetry, effectiveness, and balance to the written piece. Parallelism in RhetoricParallelism in rhetoric is used to persuade, motivate, and/or evoke emotional responses in an audience and is often used in speeches. The balance between clauses or phrases makes complex thoughts easier to process while holding the reader's or listener's attention. The balance in importance is also an essential element; each phrase or idea should be as important as its counterpart. Some examples of parallelism in rhetoric include the following:
You can also see rhetorical parallelism used in longer speeches, such as this example by John F. Kennedy:
Parallelism in LiteratureThe opening paragraph of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities is perhaps the best-known example of parallelism in literature. Parallelism is shown by using "it was" to connect opposing ideas.
William Shakespeare often used parallelism in his plays. Consider the following excerpt from Richard II.
Diazeugma, using a number of verbs to describe a subject, is also a form of parallelism. This can be seen in Vacation '58, a short story by John Hughes.
Shooting an Elephant, an essay by George Orwell, uses the experience of hunting an aggressive elephant in Burma as a metaphor for British Imperialism. Starting each phrase with "some" creates a parallel structure that reinforces how easy it is for observers of the same event to have entirely different opinions.
The poem The Tyger by William Blake uses repetition of "what" to create a pleasing rhythm.
How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning also creates rhythmic verse with repetition of the parallel structure "I love thee."
Community by John Donne contrasts ideas of "good" and "love" with "ill"and "hate" using parallel structure.
E.E. Cummings' poem, love is more thicker than forget, uses the words "love is" and "more" or "less" to create a parallel structure that explains the meaning of love.
Understanding Parallel ConstructionParallelism uses similar words, phrases, or clauses to show that ideas have the same level of importance. This structure improves readability by giving a natural flow to a written work. For native speakers of English, parallelism is often instinctive. We say, "I like reading, writing, and painting" instead of "I like to read, writing, and painting." Mistakes in Parallel ConstructionHowever, one common mistake novice writers make involves failing to keep items in a list after a colon in a parallel form. For example, "Writers can use an online dictionary to find help with these issues: word meanings, pronunciations, and finding correct spellings" does not use a parallel construction. Changing the text to read, "Writers can use an online dictionary to find help with these issues: word meanings, pronunciations, and correct spellings" gives it a parallel construction and improves readability. More Examples of Parallel StructureAdditional examples of parallel sentence structure include the following:
Other Literary Devices Used With ParallelismAs you use parallel construction in your writing or begin to identify it in the literature you read, you’ll see that it also goes with other literary devices:
Stay Balanced in Your WritingReading written text out loud is often an effective way to identify examples of parallelism or areas that need editing to maintain a parallel structure. Listening to the rhythm of words as they flow from your tongue will help you maintain the desired balance in your writing, whether you're writing a persuasive essay or a romantic love poem. Which statement best describes the rhetorical technique used in this excerpt he appeals to logos by referring to two hundred years ago?Which statement best describes the rhetorical technique used in this excerpt? He appeals to logos by referring to two hundred years ago. He uses parallelism with the repetition of the word too.
Which statement best defines the term rhetoric quizlet?Which statement best defines the term rhetoric? Rhetoric is the art of effective, persuasive speaking or writing.
Which statement best describes the impact of rhetorical techniques in this excerpt?Which statement best describes the impact of rhetorical techniques in this excerpt? The use of inclusive language emphasizes hope for a better relationship in the future.
Which statement best explains how Kennedy uses a rhetorical technique to support his message?Which statement best explains how Kennedy uses a rhetorical technique to support his message? B. He uses parallelism to reach out to different countries around the world.
|