Robert Lowth, Parallelism, and Biblical Poetry

Abstract

This essay offers a fresh look at Robert Lowth’s theory of parallelism in biblical poetry, situated in light of the study of this phenomenon since Lowth’s originary conceptualizations. The discussion divides into three parts, treating Lowth’s general description of parallelism, his (in)famous threefold classification schema, and aspects of orality and rhythm as they bear on an understanding of parallelism in biblical poetry. A chief end in view is to suggest what remains vital in Lowth’s thought.