Chiasmus
Literary term · say it kye-AZ-muhs
Chiasmus is a pattern in which two words, ideas, or sentence structures appear again in reverse order: A-B becomes B-A. The crossing pattern can sharpen a contrast, connect ideas, or make a statement easier to remember.
Ways chiasmus appears
Reversed words
The same key words return in the opposite order. This exact-word pattern is also called antimetabole.
In Hamlet, Hamlet advises the visiting players to fit their actions to their words, then reverses the advice by telling them to fit their words to their actions.
In Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Reversed ideas
Related ideas change places without repeating exactly the same words. The meaning follows the crossing pattern even when the wording changes.
In Othello, Iago describes the misery of jealousy by moving from loving to doubting, then from suspecting back to loving.
In Othello by William Shakespeare
How to spot chiasmus
- Find two nearby phrases with matching words or related ideas.
- Label the first pair A and B.
- Check whether the next pair returns in B-A order.
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What is the difference between chiasmus and antimetabole?
Antimetabole repeats the same words in reverse order, while chiasmus can reverse ideas or grammatical patterns without exact repetition. Some guides treat antimetabole as a kind of chiasmus; others keep the terms separate.
Is chiasmus the same as parallelism?
Chiasmus is a crossing pattern, while parallelism usually repeats a pattern in the same order. In simple labels, parallelism runs A-B, A-B; chiasmus runs A-B, B-A. Both can give nearby phrases a clear relationship.
Related terms
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