Chiasmus | Definition & Examples
Chiasmus is the reversed repetition of grammatical structures or ideas in a sentence. In chiasmus, the first part of a sentence is repeated in reverse order in the second part, creating a mirror-like effect. This often enhances the meaning or impact of the statement without necessarily repeating the same words.
Here, “dotes” and “strongly loves” mean the same thing, as do “doubts” and “suspects.”
Chiasmus definition
Chiasmus is a figure of speech in which the structure of a phrase or sentence is reversed in its second part, without repeating the same words. This creates an X-shaped structure, from which the term “chiasmus” originates. It comes from the Greek word “chi,” meaning “crossing” or “X-shaped.”
Chiasmus is a form of parallelism, a literary device that consists of phrases or sentences with similar construction and meaning placed side by side to balance each other. Its main function is to create symmetry, either by contrasting two opposing concepts or emphasizing two similar ones. This draws attention to the relationship between the ideas and enhances the impact of the message.
Some key characteristics of chiasmus are:
- Inversion: The structure of one phrase is reversed in the following phrase, creating an A-B-B-A pattern.
- Parallel words: The words or concepts on either side of the inversion are related, either through similarity or contrast.
In Socrates’s quote, the habits of bad and good men are contrasted, creating an A-B-B-A pattern.
Chiasmus examples
Chiasmus makes sentences sound more formal, and for this reason, it is more common in poetry and speeches than everyday informal language.
“If black men have no rights in the eyes of white men, of course the whites can have none in the eyes of the blacks.” —“Appeal to Congress for Impartial Suffrage” by Frederick Douglass
“Divine compassion visibly appeared
Love without end, and without measure grace” —Paradise Lost by John Milton
Chiasmus vs antimetabole
Chiasmus is similar to antimetabole, although sources do not agree on how exactly these are related.
- Some argue that chiasmus involves the repetition of grammatical structures in inverted order, not words. It should not be confused with antimetabole, in which identical words are repeated and inverted. In this view, John F. Kennedy’s famous quote “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country” is an example of antimetabole, not chiasmus, because the exact same words are repeated.
- Other sources maintain that chiasmus may involve the repetition of words and therefore antimetabole is a type of chiasmus. All examples of antimetabole are also examples of chiasmus, but not all examples of chiasmus are examples of antimetabole.
| Chiasmus that is not antimetabole | “His time a moment, and a point his space.” —Essay on Man by Alexander Pope |
| Chiasmus that is antimetabole | “Pleasure’s a sin, and sometimes sin’s a pleasure.” —Don Juan by Lord Byron |
In short, there is a debate about whether chiasmus and antimetabole are distinct figures of speech or whether antimetabole is a specific type of chiasmus.
Frequently asked questions about chiasmus
- What is an example of chiasmus?
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An example of chiasmus is the line “By day the frolic, and the dance by night” from The Vanity of Human Wishes, a Juvenalian satire by Samuel Johnson.
The first part of the sentence (“by day the frolic”) begins with a time of day and is followed by an event. In contrast, the second part of the sentence (“and the dance by night”) starts with an event and concludes with a time of day. Therefore, the second half serves as a conceptual mirror image of the first. While the exact words are not repeated, the underlying concepts are reflected.
