I find that, if I am going to try and write a psalm of praise and worship, it’s helpful to have a basic understanding of the poetic devices I have at my disposal. Here’s a few tips I’ve picked up from my research and experimentation.
Poetic devices not normally present in Hebrew poetry
- meter
- rhyme
Poetic devices used in Hebrew that do not normally survive translation
- repetition of sounds -alliteration, assonance andparonomasia
- acrostic
Poetic devices used in Hebrew that do translate well
- Synonymous parallelism – second line repeats the first in different words having the same meaning
- Antithetic parallelism – second line contrasts with the first
- Synthetic parallelism – second line adds to the first
- Climactic parallelism – successive lines build to a climax or summary
- Eclectic parallelism – combination of different types interwoven
- Emphatic parallelism – synonymous words used for emphasis
- Emblematic parallelism – literal statement is contrasted with a metaphor or a simile
- External parallelism – syntactic units balance one another across multiple verses
- Introverted parallelism – the order of the parallel elements is reversed (also known as chiasmus)
Curious Christian 