It’s effective in that the repetition of sentence structure emphasizes the meaning and perceived truth of the proverb for the reader. Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a life time. For example, this well-known proverb features parallelism: Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Too much repetition of grammatical elements can distract and/or fatigue a reader. It’s important that writers use parallelism sparingly in order for it to be effective. Parallelism is also an effective way for writers to set up relationships between two or more things or ideas, through comparison or contrast. This is effective for readers in that parallelism can capture a reader’s attention and enhance the structure of writing to make the literary work more meaningful. Overall, as a literary device, parallelism functions as a means of creating a harmonious flow and rhythm with words and phrases. Therefore, as literary devices, repetition emphasizes a word or phrase and can certainly reinforce its meaning however, parallelism often adds even deeper meaning through the repetition of grammatical structure. Though the effect of this repetition is to emphasize the word “out” in terms of extinguishing the candle, which represents death, there is less of a poetic nature to the line than the repetition and parallelism of the “tomorrow” phrase. There is another line in Macbeth’s soliloquy that features repetition, but not parallelism: “Out, out, brief candle!” In this line, the word “out” is repeated twice, but there is no indication of a repeating grammatical element. This grammatical similarity enhances the rhythm of the phrase and emphasizes the concept and meaning of “tomorrow” as an ongoing, repeating aggregate of time and experience. It also features parallelism due to the grammatical structure of the phrasing, utilizing “and” as conjunction. The line, “ Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” features word repetition. In fact, the only requirement for parallelism as a literary device is the repetition of grammatical elements and/or structure in a written work–apart from strictly word or phrase repetition.Ī good example to demonstrate the difference between parallelism and repetition is a soliloquy spoken by the title character in Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Parallelism can involve the repetition of words or phrases, but it also must reflect the repetition of grammatical and/or structural elements. However, repetition specifically features the intentional use of a word or phrase, two or more times in close proximity of each other. They are similar literary devices in the sense that their function is based on something being repeated for effect. It can be difficult to distinguish between parallelism and repetition. (Lemony Snicket) Difference Between Parallelism and Repetition But the sad truth is that the truth is sad, and that what you want does not matter.Follow love and it will flee flee love and it will follow.You deserve to need me, not to have me.Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father.Then practice losing farther, losing faster: places, and names, and where it was you meant to travel.… and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof / Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth ( lyrics by Pharrell Williams).Not everything that is faced can be changed but nothing can be changed until it is faced.Here are some famous examples of parallelism: Parallelism is also found in many famous examples of poetry, prose, drama, speeches, and quotations to create an intentional effect for the reader.