

William Shakespeare often used parallelism in his plays. "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, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way." Parallelism is shown by using "it was" to connect opposing ideas. The opening paragraph of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities is perhaps the best-known example of parallelism in literature. You have modernized your economy, harnessed your rivers, diversified your industry, liberalized your trade, electrified your farms, accelerated your rate growth, and improved the living standard of your people." In the years since independence, you have undergone a new and peaceful revolution, an economic and industrial revolution, transforming the face of this land while still holding to the old spiritual and cultural values. "The Ireland of 1963, one of the youngest of nations and the oldest of civilizations, has discovered that the achievement of nationhood is not an end but a beginning. You can also see rhetorical parallelism used in longer speeches, such as this example by John F. "We've seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles, the giving of blood, the saying of prayers." - George W."One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." -Neil Armstrong."My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors." - Barack Obama."For the end of a theoretical science is truth, but the end of a practical science is performance." -Aristotle.

They must know it is not their aptitude but their attitude that will determine their altitude." -Jesse Jackson If they can conceive it and believe it, they can achieve it. "Today's students can put dope in their veins or hope in their brains.I want to live on in my apartment." -Woody Allen "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." - John F.I have a dream today." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
PARALLEL STRUCTURE EXAMPLE SKIN

The balance in importance is also an essential element each phrase or idea should be as important as its counterpart. The balance between clauses or phrases makes complex thoughts easier to process while holding the reader's or listener's attention. Parallelism in rhetoric is used to persuade, motivate, and/or evoke emotional responses in an audience and is often used in speeches.
