Socialism: The Definition Of Parallelism

Parallelism is “the quality or state of being parallel” or “repeated syntactical similarities introduced for rhetorical effect” (Noun). Another way to define parallelism is, it is a “literary device in which parts of the sentence are grammatically the same, or are similar in construction. It can be a word, a phrase, or an entire sentence repeated” (Licciardi). I like to think of a seesaw. When you see children playing on a seesaw you notice that for it to work properly they must be roughly of the same height and weight. If you have a child who is nearing six feet and has a good fifty pounds on a child who is barely four feet, then larger child will be sitting in the dirt. This also applies to sentences, the side that is different in form will weigh the sentence down.
Parallelism applies to words and phrases alike. Nicole likes knitting, reading, running, and swimming. Each of the activities that Nicole enjoys end in -ing. You can also say, Nicole likes to knit, to read, to run, and to swim. Each infinitive phrase is structured the same. But, you cannot have a sentence that reads, Nicole likes to knit, reading, running, and swimming. This sentence is unbalanced. All of the activities much be in word or phrase form.
Parallelism applies to clauses as well. “A parallel

When the sentence is balanced, causing symmetry in the readers mind, he or she is more likely to remember it. Think of some of the most famous quotes or lines you’ve heard. Martin Luther King Jr. used parallelism when he opened each sentence with, “I have a dream…” Even if you know nothing about US history you most likely have heard and remember these words. We even see parallelism in the Bible as Psalm 34:10 reads, “The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.” Society today strives so hard to have a balanced diets, relationships, and exercise habits. Let’s not forget about having balance in our writing