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Antimetabole is a powerful and memorable figure of speech that involves repeating words or phrases in reverse order to create emphasis, contrast, or rhetorical impact. It is commonly used in literature, speeches, and everyday language to make ideas more persuasive and easier to remember.
Antimetabole as a Figure of Speech
1. What Is Antimetabole?
Antimetabole is a rhetorical device in which the same words are repeated in successive clauses, but in reversed grammatical order, typically forming an (A-B-C, C-B-A) pattern.
Here is a simple definition of antimetabole:
Antimetabole repeats words in reverse order to highlight contrast or balance.
Example:
“Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” — John F. Kennedy
The reversal of country and you strengthens the message and makes it more striking:
- Ask not what your country can do for you —
- Ask what you can do for your country.
(A = “ask not”/”ask”, B = “country”, C = “you”)
Key Characteristics and Functions
- Reversal & Mirroring: Words or phrases are deliberately inverted to form a balanced, mirror-like structure (A–B / B–A).
- Emphasis & Memorability: The patterned repetition highlights contrast and makes the expression concise, striking, and easy to remember.
- Rhetorical Impact: Antimetabole strengthens persuasion and clarity, which is why it is widely used in speeches, literature, slogans, and memorable sayings.
2. Antimetabole vs. Chiasmus
Antimetabole is often confused with chiasmus, and while they are closely related, they are not identical.
- Antimetabole: repeats the same words in reverse order.
- Chiasmus: reverses the structure or idea, but may use different words.
Antimetabole example:
“Eat to live, not live to eat.”
Chiasmus example:
“She went to church, but to the bar went he.”
All antimetaboles are chiasmus, but not all chiasmus are antimetabole.
3. Why Is Antimetabole Used?
Antimetabole is used to:
- Emphasize contrast
- Create balance and symmetry
- Make ideas more memorable
- Strengthen arguments in speeches and writing
Because the brain easily recognizes patterns, reversed repetition helps messages stick.
Famous Examples of Antimetabole
Here are some antimetabole examples:
1. In Speeches and Politics
- “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” — John F. Kennedy
- “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” — John F. Kennedy
- “The instinct of a man is to pursue everything that flies from him, and to fly from all that pursues him.” — Voltaire
2. Antimetabole in Literature
- “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” — William Shakespeare (Macbeth)
- “One should eat to live, not live to eat.” — Molière
- “We do not stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” — George Bernard Shaw
3. Common Antimetabole Phrases in Everyday English
Antimetabole is not limited to literature and speeches. Many well-known expressions in everyday English use this figure of speech, which is why they are easy to remember and often sound witty or wise.
Examples:
- “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
→ Reversal of going / tough - “Fail to plan, plan to fail.”
→ Reversal of fail / plan - “You like it; it likes you.”
→ Reversal of you / it - “Work to live, not live to work.”
→ Reversal of work / live - “Eat to live, not live to eat.”
→ Reversal of eat / live - “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”
→ Reversal of stand / fall
Antimetabole for ESL Learners
Antimetabole is especially useful for English learners because it:
- Reinforces vocabulary through repetition
- Demonstrates sentence structure clearly
- Encourages logical thinking and contrast
Teachers often use antimetabole to help students practice parallel structure and emphasis.
Practice Exercise: Understanding & Using Antimetabole
Work through the following three parts to test and deepen your understanding of antimetabole.
Part 1: Identification
Read each pair of sentences. Which one (A or B) contains an example of antimetabole? Circle your choice.
- A. We shape our buildings; thereafter, they shape us.
B. We shape our buildings. - A. The day was long, and the work was hard.
B. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. - A. She believed in the cause with all her heart.
B. She didn’t believe in the cause; the cause believed in her. - A. He wanted to see the world; the world wants to see him.
B. He wanted to see the world. - A. She lived to learn; she learned to live.
B. She lived to learn.
Part 2: Analysis & Completion
Complete or analyze the antimetabole in the following items.
- Complete this famous antimetabole by John F. Kennedy:
“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to __________________.” - The antimetabole “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (Shakespeare’s Macbeth) creates a specific effect. What does the reversal of “fair” and “foul” most likely emphasize in the play’s context?
a) Beauty
b) Confusion and moral inversion
c) Symmetry
d) Repetition for rhythm
Part 3: Creation
Create your own examples of antimetabole.
- Guided Creation: Use the words “plan” and “success” to write an antimetabole. (Think about the relationship between planning and succeeding.)
- Free Creation: Invent an original antimetabole on any topic. Underline the key words that are reversed.
1. A. “We shape our buildings; thereafter, they shape us.”
(Words reversed: shape our buildings / they shape us.)
2. B. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
(Words reversed: going gets tough / tough get going.)
3. B. “She didn’t believe in the cause; the cause believed in her.”
(Words reversed: believe in the cause / the cause believed in her.)
4. A. “He wanted to see the world; the world wants to see him.”
(Words reversed: see the world / the world wants to see him.)
5. A. “She lived to learn; she learned to live.”
(Words reversed: lived to learn / learned to live.)
Part 2: Analysis & Completion
1. negotiate
(Complete quote: “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.”)
2. b) Confusion and moral inversion
(The reversal of “fair” and “foul” highlights a world where moral order is inverted.)
Part 3: Creation
– Example answers. Accept any correct construction that repeats the same key words in reverse order.
1. Guided Creation – Sample Answer:
– “Plan for success, but let success be shaped by your plan.”
→ (Reversed words: plan / success.)
Alternative acceptable answer:
– “Plan leads to success, and success should justify the plan.”
2. Free Creation – Sample Answers:
– “We work to live, but we should not live to work.”
→ (Reversed words: work / live.)
OR
– “We learn from experience, and experience teaches us to learn.”
→ (Reversed words: learn / experience.)
How Antimetabole Develops Critical Thinking
Understanding antimetabole encourages learners to:
- Analyze sentence structure
- Recognize logical oppositions
- Compare meaning through reversal
By examining why a reversal works—and what changes when it does not—students practice deeper reasoning rather than surface-level reading.
FAQs About Antimetabole
Is antimetabole a figure of speech?
Yes. Antimetabole is a rhetorical figure of speech that relies on the repetition of the same words in reverse order to create emphasis, balance, and contrast.
How do you use antimetabole in a sentence?
To use antimetabole, repeat key words or phrases in reverse order, often to highlight a contrast or shift in perspective.
Example: “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
Is antimetabole effective in speeches?
Yes. Antimetabole is especially effective in speeches because its rhythmic, symmetrical structure makes ideas memorable and persuasive. This is why it appears frequently in political speeches and public addresses.
How does antimetabole affect the reader or listener?
Antimetabole draws attention to an idea by forcing the reader or listener to compare two opposing or balanced statements. The reversal encourages reflection and strengthens the emotional and logical impact of the message.
What is the difference between antimetabole and chiasmus?
Antimetabole repeats the same words in reverse order, while chiasmus reverses sentence structure or ideas and may use different wording.
Final Thoughts
Antimetabole is a timeless figure of speech that brings clarity, rhythm, and power to language. From famous political speeches to everyday sayings, its balanced reversal helps ideas resonate long after they are heard or read. For students, writers, and teachers alike, mastering antimetabole is a valuable step toward stronger communication.
