parallelism

=**Parallelism** [par-uh-le-liz-uhm]=

Also referred to as parallel construction or parallel structure, this term comes from Greek roots meaning “beside one another.” It refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity. This can involve, but is not limited to, repetition of a grammatical element such as a preposition or verbal phrase. (Again, the opening of Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities is an example: “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 believe, it was the epoch of incredulity…”) The effects of parallelism are numerous, but frequently they act as an organizing force to attract the reader’s attention, add emphasis and organization, or simply provide a musical rhythm.

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Examples in Literature
> (Leonardo da Vinci)
 * "Today's students can put dope in their veins or hope in their brains. If they can conceive it and believe it, they can achieve it. They must know it is not their aptitude but their attitude that will determine their altitude."(Jesse Jackson)
 * "It is by logic we prove, but by intuition we discover."


 * "Merriam Webster's Online Dictionary." Merriam Webster. 2006. Merriam Webster. 27 Sep 2007 .
 * Nordguist, Richard. "Parallelism." Grammar and Composition. 2007. About. 27 Sep 2007 

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