Formalism a few important terms

Parallelism

Parallelism Use of similar structures in grammar, meter, sound, or meaning Creates a rhythm, adds balance, and helps the writing flow smoothly Examples: “Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.” —Dale Carnegie “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” —Winston Churchill “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” —John F. Kennedy

Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition Two images placed closely together for contrasting effect Characters have foils, language has juxtaposition Foils: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy (characters meant to contrast one another) Juxtaposition: the warmth of Gryffindor’s common room vs. the dank dungeons of Slytherin’s common room

Antithesis

Antithesis Contrasting images or ideas put together in a parallel structure Essentially: parallelism + juxtaposition = antithesis Example from Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities: “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…”