9) Characteristics of the Psalms
a) Lyrics
i)
The Psalms are not just poems, but lyric poems.
ii)
Def: "A short poem, originally meant to be sung,
expressing the thoughts and especially the feelings of a single speaker."
iii)
Lyric poetry has 4 notable characteristics:
(1)
It is musical.
(2)
It is subjective or personal.
(3)
It emphasizes emotions as one of its chief identifying
traits.
(4)
It is brief.
b) Parallelisms
i)
Parallelism is the distinctive mark of Hebrew
poetry.
ii)
There are 3 primary
types of parallelism:
(1)
Synonymous: 2nd statement says much the same as the
first.
(2)
Synthetic: 2nd adds to the first, goes beyond it.
(3)
Antithetic: contrast to the first.
c) Meter:
i)
Hebrew was not concerned about long/short syllables as
Greek/Roman poetry.
ii)
Had no interest in accented syllables.
iii)
Concerned about words in a given line.
iv) Any
one set pattern of accented words does not seem to prevail throughout any psalm.
d) Imagery or Figures
i)
Simile:
comparison, using "like" or "as" (1:3)
ii)
Metaphor:
comparison w/o like or as (23:1)
iii)
Allegory:
extended metaphors around a central theme (80:8ff)
iv) Metonymy: puts one word for another bec.
the words are related in some way (73:9)
v)
Synecdoche:
the whole is put for a part, or vice versa (52:4)
vi) Hyperbole: exaggeration used for
emphasis (6:6)
vii)
Personification:
speaks of inanimate objects or abstract ideas as having attributes of a living
being (35:10)
viii)
Apostrophe:
addresses absent persons or lifeless objects as though living & present
(114:5-7)
ix) Anthropomorphism: speaks of God as
having a human body (10:12)
x)
Anthropopathism:
speaks of God as having human passions & feelings (6:1)
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