A fool for rhythm: the iconicity of parallelism

Isocolon is a special form of repetition, aligning sequences of words, phrases, or clauses through prosodic parallelism. It is the mainstay of poetry and ritualistic genres, a feature of oratory, ubiquitous in slogans, proverbs, and other widespread, culturally robust expressions, and a crucial instrument of conversational coordination. It very frequently collocates with other figures and has a special affinity for parison (syntactic parallelism). I develop isocolon as a paradigm case of endophoric (or ‘intrasemiotic’) iconicity. Similarity of form evokes similarity of meaning. I argue for a rhetorical homogeneity activated more broadly by schemes of repetition, and a particular role for parallelism in providing a setting to amplify the semiotic functioning of other figures. My case brings together the work of Kenneth Burke with empirical results in cognitive psychology and theoretical work in neuroscience. Experimental work revealing a ‘credibility bonus’ for aesthetic language demonstrates Burke’s notion of formal assent, and the theory of predictive coding explains his related notion of collaborative expectancy. Prior and current forms prime our receptivity for future forms.