What is the name of the repetition of patterns in phrases to show equal importance?

The correct answer is the term "Parallel Construction." This literary device involves the use of repeated grammatical structures to create a sense of rhythm and emphasis within a text. By using parallel construction, a writer can highlight the equal importance of different ideas or elements, allowing them to resonate more powerfully with the reader. For example, a sentence might list several actions or qualities using the same grammatical form (e.g., "to learn, to grow, and to succeed"), which reinforces the connection between these ideas.

The other terms, while related to writing and rhetoric, do not describe the same concept. A metaphor involves a figure of speech where one thing is described in terms of another, and an extended metaphor is a more elaborate version that continues throughout a work. A rhetorical question, on the other hand, is a question posed for effect rather than to elicit an answer, making it a different tool altogether. Thus, parallel construction is specifically focused on the repetition of patterns to convey equal significance among phrases.