Parallelism: non-literary examples
Task C - 'Opposite meaning'
Now let's have a look at the parallelism processing rule in relation
to the effect of 'opposite meaning'. First we will look at a phrase from
the marketing of cars. Then you can have a go at another advertising slogan.
The manufacturers of cars make a point of putting things like nice-looking
radios and CD players in modern cars because they increase sales. In terms
of enhancing the performance or safety of the car they are irrelevant,
and compared with installing safety features and other important parts
of a car they are not very expensive. But many people seem to be swayed
to buy one car rather than another by these less important matters. In
the trade, these sales gimmicks are often referred to as:
Tremendous trifles
This phrase is a very arresting and effective way of referring
to the phenomena we have just been describing. Note how the first two
consonants of each word alliterate (a kind of phonological parallelism,
of course), tying the modifier and headword closely together conceptually.
But the meaning relation between the two words is so opposed as to be
paradoxical. So in this case the phonological parallelism underscores
the semantic opposition, which of course is an example of linguistic deviation.
Now you have a go at the following advertising slogan
for cream. After you have worked out what you think is happening, compare
your account with ours:
Naughty but Nice
our answer
|
