Chiasmus
Chiasmus is a rhetorical device in which the order of words in one phrase is reversed in the following phrase, creating a balanced and parallel structure. It is often used to emphasize contrast or to create a memorable and impactful statement. An example of chiasmus is the famous quote by John F. Kennedy, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
3 Key excerpts on "Chiasmus"
eBook - ePubWriting with Clarity and Style
A Guide to Rhetorical Devices for Contemporary Writers
- Robert A. Harris(Author)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...In regular parallelism, the elements that are balanced with each other are presented in the same order in each part. In Chiasmus, the balanced elements are presented in reverse order. Where parallelism balances elements in the same order (A, B is balanced by A, B), Chiasmus reverses the order (A, B is balanced by B, A).Chiasmus is useful for creating a different style of balance from that offered by regular parallelism. Chiasmus is effective for bringing two elements close together for contrast or emphasis, as you can see with the adverbs constantly and rarely in the example above. The chiastic structure places them almost next to each other for greater contrast than would be provided by a strictly parallel structure. Another useful effect of Chiasmus results from the natural emphasis given to the end of a sentence. Note in the example below how the word forgotten receives greater stress when it appears as the last word of the sentence. Parallelism : What is learned unwillingly is forgotten gladly. Chiasmus : What is learned unwillingly is gladly forgotten. In addition to contrast and emphasis, Chiasmus can add beauty to sentences with no sacrifice of clarity. Reversing the order of independent and subordinate clauses is one way to do this. Parallelism : When the house was finished, the buyers moved in; but when the insects invaded, the buyers quickly moved out again. Chiasmus : When the house was finished, the buyers moved in; but they quickly moved out again when the insects invaded. In the example above, the Chiasmus also prevents a pronoun reference problem. In the parallel form, suppose the writer had said, “When the house was finished, the buyers moved in; but when the insects invaded, they quickly moved out again.” In such a case, they would create an unclear reference because it could refer either to buyers or to insects. Thus, in the parallel example, the words the buyers must be repeated to avoid confusion...
eBook - ePubThe Challenge of Periodization
Old Paradigms and New Perspectives
- Lawrence Besserman, Lawrence Besserman(Authors)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Wordsworth’s doubleness on this score, I claim, is a function of the co-subjective potential of Chiasmus. This co-subjective potential comes about because Chiasmus itself entails recreating an emptiness or obliviousness within language. This emptiness results in the Teachings out of language, from its incompleteness or obliviousness, towards symmetry with other language. It will emerge that in Wordsworth’s own writing he is partly forgetful, partly mindful, of the way the neoclassical counterparts to his own use of Chiasmus half-form his poetic tradition. In order to appreciate the frequency of such half-forgettings, together with their half-rememberings, it is necessary to see that occurrences of Chiasmus are far more common than we may imagine. Handbooks of rhetorical terms only say that Chiasmus consists of a reversal of syntactic elements, or signs, which form an X or chi within the pattern AB:BA. For one phase of Chiasmus this is certainly true, and it is therefore legitimate to think of Chiasmus in terms of antithesis or opposition. Yet formally as well as historically considered, it is more accurate to say that a Chiasmus is a movement of two sets of opposed signs (two binarisms) in which the pattern AB:BA is only one interim possibility. Because of the multiple meanings of all language, any one reading (at a given juncture of possible combinations) of any sign or syntactic element or binarism is always to some extent an arbitrary decision. In Pope’s couplet, for example, this is the case with each of the four binary terms located by his four half-lines. Each binary term is poised for a change of its sign (A or B) within the couplet’s network of signs. Henri Suhamy has recently emphasized this feature of shifting signs within the structure and movements of any Chiasmus...
eBook - ePub- James Hernando(Author)
- 2005(Publication Date)
- Gospel Publishing House(Publisher)
...6 Literary Devices Parallelism A structure of two or more poetic lines or verses that are conceptually related to each other. The poetic lines cohere and work together to develop a shared thought, sometimes by repetition, contrast, or addition (Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard, 225–36). Because of the structure of thought, it is helpful to read line by line rather than sentence by sentence (Duvall and Hays, 337–38). The most characteristic feature of Hebrew poetry, parallelism falls into three basic types: antithetic, synonymous, and synthetic (Fee and Stuart 1982, 162). However, scholars sometimes break down one or more of these types into additional types in order to more precisely describe the development of thought. Antithetic parallelism A type of parallelism wherein the thought of the second or subsequent line contrasts with that of the previous line (Fee and Stuart 1982, 180; Kaiser and Silva, 89). A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother. —Prov. 10:1 Chiasm A literary technique that uses a form of parallelism wherein the words, phrases, or concepts given in successive lines are inverted in the following lines (Kaiser 1981, 225f). This technique was considered a most dignified and stately form of presentation and therefore was reserved for solemn and important portions of Scripture (Bullinger, 374). 1 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, A born of a woman, born under the law, B to redeem those under the law, B’ that we might receive adoption to sonship. A’ —Gal. 4:4,5 Climactic parallelism A repetition of two or more words over two to four lines. The lines develop a thought or action in ascending fashion (lending this literary feature the alternate name of “staircase parallelism”), sometimes ending with a culminating thought (Kaiser and Silva, 92). Sing to the L ORD a new song; Sing to the L ORD, all the earth. Sing to the L ORD, praise his name. —Ps...
