Rhetoric & FiguresAdvanced
Chiasmus
A mirrored reversal of grammatical or conceptual structure.
Principle
Reversal in form can reveal reversal in thought.
Takeaways
- Chiasmus often follows an ABBA pattern.
- It can make a line feel balanced, aphoristic, or inevitable.
- Clever symmetry without necessity sounds ornamental.
Overview
Chiasmus arranges terms or structures in mirrored order. It is a rhetorical figure of crossing, useful for showing reciprocity, inversion, irony, or conceptual balance.
Examples
- She left the city for freedom and found freedom leaving the city.
- He shaped the law, and the law shaped him.