What is chiasmus and how do you use it in your writing?

What is the definition of chiasmus?

Chiasmus (kee-AZ-muhs) comes from a Greek word meaning “crossing” or “x-shaped.” This figure of speech makes use of symmetrical, inverted concepts appearing in the same sentence. A sentence with a chiasmus contains two phrases with two concepts each; in the first phrase, the concepts are presented in A-B order, and in the second phrase, these concepts are reversed and presented in B-A order. The two words should not be identical, but the meaning will be the same.

In short, chiasmus is when you write a clause and then write a similar clause in reverse as a whole sentence. The concepts and parts of speech should be mirrors of each other, even if the actual words differ.

What is the difference between chiasmus vs. antimetabole?

If the words are inverted but are the same, it’s a different literary device called an antimetabole. An antimetabole is similar to a chiasmus by definition but uses the same words instead of parallel words or mirroring concepts.

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Here are two examples of each figure of speech in action. You’ll see that in a chiasmus, the two concepts are repeated and flipped but the words have changed, while an antimetabole is like a mirror image of the first clause.

• Chiasmus: “His time a moment, and a point his space.”
• Antimetabole: “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.”

What makes up a chiasmus?

A chiasmus is made up of three core elements that are important to keep in mind when using this device. We can use a line from Shakespeare’s Othello to demonstrate this: “Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves.”

• Parallelism in concepts or words. In the example from Othello, “dotes” and “loves” are parallel words as are “doubts” and “suspects.” The first pair of words indicates strong caring feelings while the latter pair is more negative.
• Inverse structure. These parallel concepts are not just repeated, they’re also flipped as if viewed in a mirror. If “dotes” and “loves” are denoted by the letter A, and “doubts” and “suspects” are indicated by the letter B, then the structure is A-B-B-A.
• Relevance to a single topic. Both clauses indicate that someone who has strong caring feelings toward another may also find cause for uncertainty and mistrust. If the second clause didn’t share the same overall meaning as the first, it wouldn’t be a chiasmus anymore, even if the structure was the same.

Why use a chiasmus in writing?

Chiasmus is used in writing to deepen an idea by showing contrast or emphasizing certain ideas. It is often found in poetry and speechwriting because the repetition makes it memorable. Here’s how chiasmus has an effect on writing:

Depth through repetition

Think about political speeches; you’ll find that candidates who are running for office will frequently repeat certain words or phrases throughout their campaigns. This repetition helps to deepen the meaning of what they’re saying, and the same is true in a chiasmus. If the two parallel concepts are similar, they emphasize and support each other. If the two concepts of a chiasmus are opposite, the inherent contrast will be highlighted through repetition.

Impart rhythm

You might see a chiasmus used in poetry due to a rhythmic use of words. Shakespeare employed this device as well, allowing for clever word swaps and structure. While a chiasmus may lend itself to a sort of old-fashioned feel, this may be a positive for some writers who enjoy flexing their creative muscles and playing with words to create images and impart feelings.

Famous examples of chiasmus

While a chiasmus is not a particularly common figure of speech in modern writing, it does still appear in prose and poetry to produce a sort of lyrical effect. Here are a few famous examples:

“Adam, first of men,
To the first of women, Eve.”

“Love without end, and without measure, Grace.”
– John Milton, Paradise Lost

“…And these tend inward to me, and I tend outward to them.”
– Walt Whitman, Song of Myself

“If black men have no rights in the eyes of the white men, of course, the whites can have none in the eyes of the blacks.”
– Frederick Douglas

“Despised, if ugly: if she’s fair, betrayed.”
– Mary Leapor, Essay on Woman

While chiasmus is not often used, there’s no denying that it allows for clever wordplay that can deepen the meaning of a point. These carefully constructive reflexive statements can pack a punch when used to persuade others and can be searingly beautiful when used in a poetic format.

Learn about other similar figures of speech like circumlocution and antanaclasis,and find other tips to improve your writing.