Chiasmus
Pronounced ky-AZ-mus.
Chiasmus: A mirrored structure in which the second half of a phrase reverses the order of the first (A-B-B-A).
Chiasmus folds a sentence back on itself so it seems to prove its own point; the reversal makes an assertion feel like a law of nature.
Chiasmus examples
"Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."
— John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, 1961
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."
— Macbeth, Shakespeare
"Plan your work and work your plan."
— common usage
"You can take the writer out of the newsroom, but you can't take the newsroom out of the writer."
— original example
Spot the Chiasmus
Score: 0/0A mirrored structure in which the second half of a phrase reverses the order of the first (A-B-B-A).
"Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."
Which work is this from?
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Chiasmus: common questions
What is chiasmus in literature?
A mirrored structure in which the second half of a phrase reverses the order of the first (A-B-B-A). Chiasmus folds a sentence back on itself so it seems to prove its own point; the reversal makes an assertion feel like a law of nature.
What is an example of chiasmus?
A classic example is "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." (John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, 1961).
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