Chiasmus is a figure of speech in which the grammar of one phrase is inverted in the following phrase, such that two key concepts from the original phrase reappear in the second phrase in inverted order. The sentence
“She has all my love; my heart belongs to her
,” is an example of chiasmus.
What is a chiasmus sentence?
A chiasmus is a two-part sentence or phrase,
where the second part is a mirror image of the first
. This does not mean that the second part mirrors the same exact words that appear in the first part—that is a different rhetorical device called antimetabole—but rather that concepts and parts of speech are mirrored.
Why is chiasmus used in writing?
Chiasmus is an ancient literary device, as old as Hebrew scripture and ancient Greek verse. Its use in English literature is often a callback to those ancient origins, but just as often, it’s used
as a simple way to add emphasis to a particular pair of phrases
.
When should chiasmus be used?
Chiasmus is a Greek term meaning “diagonal arrangement.” It is used to describe
two successive clauses or sentences where the key words or phrases are repeated in both clauses
, but in reverse order. For this reason, chiasmus is sometimes known as a criss-cross figure of speech.
How do you write chiasmus?
The structure of a chiasmus is pretty simple, so they aren’t difficult to craft. All you have to do is make up the first half of the sentence,
and then flip a couple of words around for the second half
.
How effective is chiasmus?
The Importance of Chiasmus. The chiasmus creates a highly symmetrical structure, and gives the impression of completeness. … So
when it sees a second phrase with the same grammatical structure
, the processing is much more efficient.
What is chiasmus poem?
Repetition of any group of verse elements (including rhyme and grammatical structure) in reverse order
, such as the rhyme scheme ABBA. Examples can be found in Biblical scripture (“But many that are first / Shall be last, / And many that are last / Shall be first”; Matthew 19:30).
What is an example of Epanalepsis?
Epanalepsis (eh-puh-nuh-LEAP-siss): Figure of emphasis in which the same word or words both begin(s) and end(s) a phrase, clause, or sentence; beginning and ending a phrase or clause with the same word or words. Example: “
Nothing is worse than doing nothing.
“
What is an example of metonymy?
Common examples of metonymy include in language include:
Referring to the President of the United States
or their administration as “the White House” or “the Oval Office” Referring to the American technology industry as “Silicon Valley” Referring to the American advertising industry as “Madison Avenue”
What does Zeugma mean in English?
:
the use of a word to modify or govern two or more words usually in such
a manner that it applies to each in a different sense or makes sense with only one (as in “opened the door and her heart to the homeless boy”)
What is the difference between chiasmus and Antimetabole?
Antimetabole by definition features the reuse of words in the first and second halves of a sentence.
Chiasmus does not feature repeating words
; rather it involves two phrases, where the second phrase is merely a conceptual inversion of the first one.
What’s the difference between chiasmus and antithesis?
As nouns the difference between chiasmus and antithesis
is that
chiasmus is chiasmus
while antithesis is a proposition that is the diametric opposite of some other proposition.
What is the difference between chiasmus and inversion?
As nouns the difference between inversion and chiasmus
is that
inversion is the action of inverting
while chiasmus is (rhetoric) an inversion of the relationship between the elements of phrases.
Is all for one and one for all chiasmus?
Classical understanding of chiasmus, did not include those which repeated exact words—this was called antimetabole. The title quotation of this lesson, “All for one, and one for all” from The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas, would classically be called antimetabole. Modernly, we call it chiasmus.
What is it called when you reverse a phrase?
A palindrome
is a word, number, phrase, or other sequence of characters which reads the same backward as forward, such as madam or racecar.
What is literary paradox?
The word “paradox” derives from the Greek word “paradoxons,” meaning contrary to expectation. In literature, a paradox is
a literary device that contradicts itself but contains a plausible kernel of truth
. … Paradox shares similar elements with two other literary terms: antithesis and oxymoron.
