Chiasmus: Definition and Examples

Strong communicators know how to create lines that hit a point and stick with their audience. To achieve this, many writers and speakers use literary and rhetorical devices, including one called chiasmus.

The good news is this is a skill you can learn in order to become a more effective communicator yourself! 

Chiasmus Definition 

Chiasmus (pronounced kee-az-muhs) is a literary device that pits two or more clauses against each other by reversing their structures for an artistic effect. Its plural form is also chiasmus.

This device is most effective when used to elaborate on an idea or contrast opposing ideas, thought it can also be used to simply create a symmetrical structure and give the impression of completeness.

For example: 

He has all my love; my heart belongs to him. 

The sentence contains an idea that is inverted in the second half. The purpose of this “criss-cross” structure is to reverse the ideas in the sentence, without repeating the same phrases or words.

As you can see, “he has” means the same thing as “belongs to him,” while “all my love” and “my heart” also mean the same thing. 

The word chiasmus has its roots in the Greek language, and means “to place crosswise” or “in a diagonal arrangement.” It was popular in ancient literature, such as Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. 

Take a look at these other examples to better understand how chiasmus works: 

• They recommend a pet to help with anxiety. Worrisome thoughts can be helped by a dog. 
• The group walked on, exhausted; drained of all energy, they trudged forward in the forest. 
• He told her he wasn’t returning to her. He wasn’t coming back, he said. 

Using Chiasmus to Elaborate on an Idea

Note that the clauses don’t have to be exactly the same in length. In fact, some artistic uses of chiasmus use varying lengths of the inverted ideas as a strategy for elaborating or deepening an idea. This passage from the Bible is one example: 

“And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died.”

This passage is Genesis 7:21-22 and it tells of how everything died when the worldwide flood covered the earth. The two ideas contained here are “all living creatures” and “died.” 

The first sentence includes an expansion of the idea of “all living creatures,” which is the list of birds, livestock and other creatures. The second sentence uses a different description of this idea as “everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life.” 

Another example of how chiasmus can elaborate on an idea is: 

• The boys were cruel. Hunting birds, kicking cats, and bullying their friends were the daily antics of the children. 

Chiasmus Can Contrast Opposite Ideas

Although most chiasmus use concepts that are synonyms, they can also use two contrasting or opposite concepts. See the example below: 

• By day the frolic, and the dance by night (by Samuel Johnson in The Vanity of Human Wishes) 

In this sentence, frolic and dance mean the same thing, but day and night are opposites. 

The Difference Between Chiasmus and Antimetabole 

A rhetorical device that’s often confused with chiasmus is the antimetabole. They both use the inversion of words to make their point in an artistic way. However, the difference is that antimetabole repeats words within the sentence in reverse. 

Look at the examples of antimetabole below: 

• Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you. 
• People don’t care how much you know, unless they know how much you care. 
• Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind. 
• Some people eat to live; others live to eat. 

The words in the first half of the sentence, when inverted, are still the same words used. This makes the above sentences examples of antimetabole. 

So with this definition, is President Kennedy’s famous line chiasmus or antimetabole? 

Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. 

If you answered antimetabole, you are right, because he used the same words, but interchanged their order.

Examples of Chiasmus in Literature 

Below are several examples of chiasmus from literature to help you better understand their effect.

Example #1: From Othello by William Shakespeare

But O, what damned minutes tells he o’er
Who dotes, yet doubts; suspects, yet strongly loves.

In this passage, Shakespeare inverts the idea of “dotes,” which is equal to “strongly loves,” and “doubts,” which means the same as “suspects.” 

Example #2. From “An Essay on Man” by Alexander Pope 

Then say not man’s imperfect, Heaven in fault;
Say rather man’s as perfect as he ought:
His knowledge measured to his state and place;
His time a moment, and a point his space.

In this example of chiasmus, the words are not exact synonyms but they convey similar ideas, i.e. man’s finiteness. 

Example #3. From Paradise Lost by John Milton 

…in his face
Divine compassion visibly appeerd,
Love without end, and without measure Grace…

In this example, Milton treats love and grace as related concepts, pitting them against the idea of infinity with the phrases “without end” and “without measure.” 

Using Chiasmus as Parallelism 

If you want to make memorable, artistic points, using parallelisms like chiasmus is a great strategy. This helps you to elaborate upon your ideas, emphasize your point, and influence your audience. 

Lastly, learning how to use chiasmus, as well as other literary devices, will help you in creating persuasive rhetoric.

Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

 

If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:

• 17 of the Most Common Literary Devices Every Reader and Writer Should Know
• Anaphora: How to Use Strategic Repetition in Writing
• Extended Metaphors Explained: Definition, Purpose, and Examples from Literature
• Repetition in Writing and Rhetoric: 9 Types and Examples

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