Parallelism

WORKING PAPER

THE SUBJECT OF STRUCTURE III

“PARALLELISM" 

WRITTEN BY :

MIELGI LASPIA INDRA

08.788.13
    

ENGLISH DEPARTEMENT (PBI / IIIC)

       
LECTURE :

FITRIA MERISA, S.Pd.I

THE STATE INSTITUTE FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES

( STAIN ) KERINCI 

2014 / 2015

Parallelism Definition

Parallelism is the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning or meter. Parallelism examples are found in literary works as well as in ordinary conversations.

This method adds balance and rhythm to sentences giving ideas a smoother flow and thus can be persuasive because of the repetition it employs. For example, “Alice ran into the room, into the garden, and into our hearts.” We see the repetition of a phrase that not only gives the sentence a balance but rhythm and flow as well. This repetition can also occur in similar structured clauses e.g. “Whenever you need me, wherever you need me, I will be there for you.”

                    

Common Parallelism Examples

        

• Like father, like son.

• The escaped prisoner was wanted dead or alive.

• Easy come, easy go.

• Whether in class, at work or at home, Shasta was always busy.

• Flying is fast, comfortable, and safe.
           

Examples of Parallelism in Literature

   

In literature, parallelism is used in different ways to impress upon the readers in order to convey messages or moral lessons. Let us analyze a few examples of parallelism in literature:

 Example #1     

Antithesis is a kind of parallelism in which two opposite ideas are put together in parallel structures. Alexander Pope in his “An Essay on Criticism” uses antithetic parallel structure:

         

“To err is human; to forgive divine.”

        
Imperfection is a human trait and God is most forgiving. Through these antithetical but parallel structures, the poet wants to say that God is forgiving because his creation is erring.    
                 

Example #2

We find parallelism in John Donne’s poem “Community”,

     
“Good we must love, and must hate ill,
For ill is ill, and good good still;
But there are things indifferent,
Which we may neither hate, nor love,
But one, and then another prove,
As we shall find our fancy bent.”

     
Contrasting ideas of “good” and “ill”, “love” and “hate” are placed together in parallel structures to emphasize the fact that we love good because it is always good and we hate bad because it is always bad. 

Example #3

We see the repetition of parallel structures in the following lines from “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens:

      
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.

         
By repeating “It was…” in the passage, the readers are prompted to focus on the traits of the “age” they will read about in the succeeding passages.

Example #4

We see William Blake employ Parallelism in his poem “The Tyger”:

      
“What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?”

        
The use of parallel structures, starting with “what”, creates a beautiful rhythm in the above lines.

Example #5

Parallelism takes form of “Diazeugma” in which a single subject is connected with multiple verbs. Read the following lines from the speech of Norfolk in William Shakespeare Henry VIII, Act 3, Scene 2:

     
“My lord, we have
Stood here observing him: Some strange commotion
Is in his brain: he bites his lip, and starts;
Stops on a sudden, looks upon the ground,
Then, lays his finger on his temple; straight,
Springs out into fast gait; then, stops again,
Strikes his breast hard; and anon, he casts
His eye against the moon: in most strange postures
We have seen him set himself.”

      
The use of multiple verbs in the above lines creates a dramatic effect in the speech of Norfolk that makes his description vivid.

Function of Parallelism

The use of parallel structures in speech or writing allows speakers and writers to maintain a consistency within their work and create a balanced flow of ideas. Moreover, it can be employed as a tool for persuasion as well because of the repetition it uses.

Improvements Papers

Formula of the Parallelism

 

To construct a parallel structure, please note the formulas and example sentences below:

 
1. noun + and + noun
   John and his friend are coming to dinner.

 
2. Verb + and + verb
   Sabrina raised her hand and snapped her fingers. 
   He is waving his arms and (is) shouting at us.

 
(NOTE: Because after the conjunction: and, are to be the same, which "is". So to be "is" that should be removed / not used).

 
3. Adjective + but + adjective
   Reviews These are old but comfortable shoes.

 
4. infinitive + or + infinitive
   She wants to watch TV or (to) listen to some music.

 (NOTE: "to" the second of the infinitive may be removed / not used).

Examples of Parallelism On A Text Conversation

A : Did you see where shasta?  
B : No, I guess She was busy.
A : If She's always like that?
B : May be, Whether in class, at work or at home, Shasta was always busy.

Report of the Results Presentation

1. Yusvita Perliasari :
A. What is Parallelism?
B. What Function of the Parallelis?
C. How Formula of the Parallelism???

     
Answer :
A. Parallelism is the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning or meter.

In English known as an equality in the sentence, namely parallelism. Parallelism is the similarity or equivalence in a sentence that is usually used to refer to several items (something) of more than one and in the phrase usually serves as Subject or Object. But sometimes also a few Verb if the sentence is equivalent compound sentence.

And Question B and C we have explained above, you can check in Function of Parallelism and Formula of the Parallelism

2. Vina Arizona :
A. When parallelism used?
B. Give exemple parallelism in ordinary conversation!    
      
Answer :
A. Parallelism examples are found in literary works as well as in ordinary conversations.

B. Bima : Did you see where shasta?  
    Redo : No, I guess She was busy.
    Bima : If She's always like that?
    Redo : May be, Whether in class, at work or at home, Shasta was always busy.

3. Angga Budiman :
A. What sentence in there parallelism???

     
Answer : 
A. Almost the same as Vina questions, you can see in the Vina Answer.