WRITING
Figures of Speech - Chiasmus
What is chiasmus?
Chiasmus is a figure of speech in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order, in the same or a modified form. In other words, the clauses display inverted parallelism.
Examples:
These are examples of chiasmus:
- He knowingly led and we followed blindly
- Swift as an arrow flying, fleeing like a hare afraid
- 'Bad men live that they may eat and drink,
whereas good men eat and drink that they may live.'
Socrates (fifth century B.C.)
