A Puritan minister addressing large crowds during the Great Awakening relied on certain literary devices to grab the audience members' attention and help them remember the sermon's major points long after the revival had ended. On the tabs below, read about two techniques Jonathan Edwards used in his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."—
Parallel Structure
Paradox
Parallel structure is the repetition of grammatical elements (words, phrases, or clauses) within a sentence or a longer passage. Parallel structures allow writers to organize their ideas in a way that helps readers understand a series of equally important points. The repetition of words or phrases may also create a pleasing rhythm, which can make the language more memorable.
Read the three sentences below. As you read, try to identify the repeating pattern. Then, click on the text to check your answer.
| Students, teachers, parents—welcome to our school's first open house. | Students, teachers, parents—welcome to our school's first open house. |
| Our student athletes know the importance of keeping up their grades, getting plenty of rest, and managing their time wisely. | Our student athletes know the importance of keeping up their grades, getting plenty of rest, and managing their time wisely. |
| These kids are our inspiration. These kids are our hope. These kids are our future. | These kids are our inspiration. / These kids are our hope. / These kids are our future. |
A paradox is a statement that contains ideas that contradict one another. Unlike an oxymoron (a pair of contradictory words like "pretty ugly"), a paradox presents two concepts that seem illogical together. Writers often use paradox for the same reasons they use figurative language—to encourage readers to find a deeper, hidden meaning beneath the surface of the words' literal meaning.
Read the two statements below. What appears to be illogical or contradictory about them? Click on the statements to compare your response to the suggested answer.
| The nicest thing he ever did was hurt me. | How can the act of hurting someone be a nice gesture? In retrospect, someone might believe the hurtful act caused the person to leave a bad relationship and move on to a better one. |
| Everything I say is a lie. | If the speaker claims to lie all the time, then this statement is a lie too. |
