Poetic characteristics The biblical poetry of Psalms uses parallelism as its primary poetic device. Parallelism is a kind of symmetry in which restatement, synonym, amplification, grammatical repetition, or opposition develops an idea.Coogan, M. A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament: The Hebrew Bible in its Context. (Oxford University Press: Oxford 2009). p. 369;Kugel, James L. The Idea of Biblical Poetry. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press 1981) Synonymous parallelism involves two lines expressing essentially the same idea. An example of synonymous parallelism: "The is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1). Two lines expressing opposites is known as antithetic parallelism. An example of antithetic parallelism: "And he led them in a cloud by day/ and all the night by a fiery light" (Psalm 78:14). Two clauses expressing the idea of amplifying the first claim is known as expansive parallelism. An example of expansive parallelism: "My mouth is filled with your praise/ all the day with your lauding" (Psalm 71:8).
Poetic characteristics The biblical poetry of Psalms uses parallelism as its primary poetic device. Parallelism is a kind of symmetry in which restatement, synonym, amplification, grammatical repetition, or opposition develops an idea.Coogan, M. A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament: The Hebrew Bible in its Con?text. (Oxford University Press: Oxford 2009). p. 369;Kugel, James L. The Idea of Biblical Poetry. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press 1981) Synonymous parallelism involves two lines expressing essentially the same idea. An example of synonymous parallelism: "The is my light and my salvation; w,hom shall I fear? The is the stronghold of my life; ?of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1). Two lines expressing opposites is known as antithetic parallelism. An example of antithetic parallelism: "And he led them in a cloud by day/ and all the night by a fiery light" (Psalm 78:14). Two clauses expressing the idea of amplifying the first claim is known as expansive parallelism. An example of expansive parallelism: "My mouth is filled with your praise/ all the day with your lauding" (Psalm 71:8).