Chiasmus. It’s Like Looking in a Mirror

Chiasmus is one of the rare literary tools that if a piece of writing were human, it would literally infuse that person with a shot of charisma. Perhaps that’s why the two words sound so familiar. But what exactly, you may ask, is chiasmus?

What is Chiasmus, anyway?

Derived from the Greek διάβαση, meaning crossing, chiasmus is a rhetorical device in which two or more clauses are balanced against each other by the reversal of their structures to produce an artistic effect. It is often a stylistic choice in which the second part is a mirror image of the first, but not a word-for-word mirror image. For example, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” John F. Kennedy.

Chiasmus is often confused with antimetabole, in which the second part of a sentence is an exact mirror image of the first. A famous example of antimetabole is the line, “Fair is foul and foul is fair,” from Shakespeare’s MacBeth.

When do writers use Chiasmus?

Although mostly a stylistic choice, chiasmus is an incredibly powerful tool used across all genres of writing. You’re as likely to see an example of chiasmus in a poem as you are in a speech. Writers realize the usefulness of this device and that’s why they choose to incorporate into their writing for a variety of reasons.

Chiasmus is used when a writer wants to emphasize a point or create a memorable phrase. This is common when writers really want to drive a point home or emphasize a moral point. Sometimes writers will use chiasmus as a means to highlight repeated, antithetical concepts to make them more impactful and memorable with fewer words.

How to Use Chiasmus Correctly

There’s really not a lot to using this incredibly useful tool, but you should be mindful of a few useful tips to avoid mixing it up with antimetabole.

Make sure your two phrases are similar if not alike in structure and meaning.
Your  phrases should be grammatically correct and have close to the same number of words.
Keep your phrases balanced and symmetrical.
For the most impact, your phrases should be meaningful and convey a clear message, especially if you’re trying to emphasize a point or create a memorable phrase.

Chiasmus in Literature and Poetry 📚

Curiously enough, it’s actually pretty difficult to find legitimate examples of chiasmus in writing and other mediums. Most likely, this is because the technique is favored so heavily in speeches despite its versatility. But luckily, a few literary gems stood out as great examples of chiasmus.

Ever the wordsmith, Milton never disappoints. Added bonus, if ever in need of a really tricky example of literary genius, one can almost certainly be found in Paradise Lost.

As illustrated through this quote, Pope tends to go next level with his examples, but then again, his essays tend to be more along the lines of treatises.

You gotta love Tennyson for trying. There are definitely several people out there who take issue with this sentiment. Regardless, these two bittersweet little lines could not have wrapped up 

This elegy more beautifully.

Examples of Chiasmus in Songs 🎧

Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t really that difficult to find a couple (and I do mean only a couple) examples of really good chiasmus in song.

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need” – Rolling Stones, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” This song is so well-known, I wonder if anyone thought of it in this context before now.
“I’m gonna be forever young, I’m gonna be forever strong” – Alphaville, “Forever Young.”  It would have been so easy to play a Rolling Stones song here, but sometimes is best to lead with the lesser known. This happens to be one such case. If you listen carefully, “Forever Young,” actually offers several examples of chiasmus throughout the song. How many do you hear?

Chiasmus in Poetry ✍🏽

Much like with literature, you have dive deep to find relevant examples of chiasmus in poetry. But we managed. And the winners are:

Ever a favorite, Lord Byron can always be called on for depth, and sometimes, depravity, but in the most sublime way.

Pope seems to pop up everywhere, but almost every instance is relevant in some way. After all, nearly everyone has been advised of this bit of advice, even if it is a bit sacrilegious.

Ever the  wordsmith, Donne forces the reader to dig deep to unpack the meaning in his words. Thank goodness this one is simple enough …

Cinematic Chiasmus 🎥

When considering how chiasmus can be illustrated in film, you kinda have to step back and think. If it’s worked into the dialogue, sure, but this only really occurs if the film happens to feature famous speeches such as John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech. Enter cinematic chiasmus. An equally rare occurrence, cinematic chiasmus occurs not in dialogue but rather in the structure of the film and occurs when the film is perfectly symmetrical.

Let’s explain.

The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – A film is symmetrical when the events of the second half mirror the events of the first. To this effect, many consider Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back a perfect example. Ordinarily, this is where a movie clip would be inserted but in this case, the clip would be the entire film. Instead, a breakdown of some of the events will have to do.

As you can see, like a sentence, the events of the film reverse in order, but not in mirror fashion.

Often Confused with … 👥

Antimetabole – Chiasmus is often confused with antimetabole, in which the second part of a sentence is an exact mirror image of the first. A famous example of antimetabole is the line, “Fair is foul and foul is fair,” from Shakespeare’s MacBeth.
Epanalepsis – When the initial word, phrase, or clause is repeated at the end of a sentence with intervening words in between. Example: “It doesn’t matter what I do, this class never gets any easier—no matter what I do.”
Anadiplosis – A form of doubling or repetition. Occurs when a word or phrase of one clause at or near the end of a sentence is repeated at the beginning of the next sentence. Example: “St. Eve,” by John Keats (Even with an example, this one is super tricky and confusing).
Symploce – occurs when a writer repeats a phrase at the beginning of successive lines AND a different phrase at the end of successive lines. Also described as a combination of anaphora and Epanalepsis.
Juxtaposition – When two unlike things are placed next together without contrast or seeming connection.

Anaphora – Repetition of a word or phrase (or lines in poetry) at the beginning of the next clause. Example: Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” address.