How is parallel construction viewed in literature?
I wrote a "take-off" on a French song using a technique that I believe is called "parallel construction."
https://french.stackexchange.com/questions/6041/can-rustique-be-used-as-a-form-of-self-deprecation
In English, the original begins, "Me, me I am a man. And you, you are music." My version closely parallels this: "She, she is a woman. And me I am just a rustic" (peasant).
Is this technique used a lot in poetry? Is it considered a form of plagiarism? I'm writing "original" thoughts, but using someone else's template, especially in a language in which I am not fluent.
This post was sourced from https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/7567. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
1 answer
In reverse order:
As far as plagiarism, it depends on what you're doing with your take-off. Is it mean to be performed in public? Are you trying to get a recording contract? Does the music of yours sound the same note-for-note as the original? Is the original copyrighted? Do the monetary rights belong to a composer? Then you're veering into copyright territory, and I'd consult a lawyer. If it's just for you, don't sweat it — it's sort of "fan fiction." (Or parody, but that's an entirely different kettle of fish.)
Whether that structure is used a lot in poetry I have no idea, because poetry is a vast ocean spanning languages, cultures, and millennia. It's like asking "are there a lot of sonnets?" Well... yes and no. Shakespeare wrote a lot of them; not many people are writing them today. Does it matter?
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