Parallelism Rhetoric

Parallelism

• Parallelism is the matching of the forms of words, phrases, or clauses within a sentence.

• Editing your work for parallel construction improves clarity and emphasizes your points.

• Example:

  • of the people, by the people, for the people... ​

Repetition

• Using a word or phrase for effect, two or more times in a speech or written work.

• For repetition to be noticeable, the words or phrases should be repeated within close proximity of each other.

• Repeating the same words or phrases can bring clarity to an idea and/or make it memorable for the reader.

• Example:

  • Time after time

  • Heart to heart​

Understatement

• A figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is.

• ​An understatement usually has an ironic effect.

• ​Example:

  • “It rained a bit more than usual.” – Describing an area being flooded by heavy rainfall

Metaphor

• A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two non-similar things.

• Example:

  • ​Laughter is the best medicine.

  • She is just a late bloomer.

Allusion

• ​A reference, typically brief, to a person, place, thing, event, or other literary work with which the reader is presumably familiar.

• Example:

  • His smile is like kryptonite to me. (Superman’s weakness)

  • She felt like she had a golden ticket. (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)