See it in language
Examples of Chiasmus
She shaped the story, and the story shaped her.
Instructional example
We do not live to plan; we plan to live.
Instructional example
Live and plan return in reversed grammatical order.
The city made the market, then the market remade the city.
Instructional example
The two nouns exchange agent and object roles across balanced clauses.
Show more examples
"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
— This famous quote by John F. Kennedy features the chiasmus structure of "A-B-B-A," creating a balanced and memorable effect.
"You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget."
— This sentence from Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" uses the chiasmus structure of "A-B-C-C-B-A," creating a symmetrical and poetic effect.
"Fair is foul and foul is fair."
— This line from William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" uses the chiasmus structure of "A-B-B-A," creating a paradoxical and memorable effect.
"I meant what I said and I said what I meant."
— This quote from Dr. Seuss's "Horton Hatches the Egg" uses the chiasmus structure of "A-B-B-A," creating a playful and rhythmic effect.
"All for one, and one for all."
— This famous quote from Alexandre Dumas's "The Three Musketeers" uses the chiasmus structure of "A-B-B-A," creating a sense of unity and solidarity.
Read like an editor
How to recognize it
- Map repeated or corresponding elements as A and B.
- Verify that the second unit reverses their order as B and A.
- Explain how crossing the structure creates reciprocity, contrast, or emphasis.
Meaning and effect
Why writers use Chiasmus
- Create emphasis
- The device can create emphasis through its distinctive textual mechanism.
- Improve memorability
- Its pattern can improve memorability in context.
- Reinforce meaning
- Writers may use it to reinforce meaning for readers.
Common confusion
Chiasmus vs. Antithesis
Chiasmus reverses structural order; Antithesis balances contrasting ideas. A passage can use both.
Chiasmus
Corresponding elements cross in ABBA order.
“She shaped the story; the story shaped her.”
Antithesis
Balanced grammar sharpens conceptual opposition.
“They demanded speed in public and practiced delay in private.”
Questions readers ask
Frequently asked questions
Must Chiasmus repeat the exact words?
No. Corresponding grammatical or conceptual elements can form the reversal.
Is Chiasmus always Antithesis?
No. It may contrast ideas, but reversal rather than opposition defines it.