chiasmus
Other forms: chiasmuses
Chiasmus is a rhetorical technique that involves a reversal of terms, such as “It’s good to be lucky, but it’s lucky to be good.”
Chiasmus is a literary device using repetition to create compelling statements, including many famous quotations, such as John F. Kennedy’s famous call to action: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." The roots of this word come from the Greek letter chi, which is roughly a cross shape, and chiasmus does involve a crossing over of terms, as in the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.“
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inversion in the second of two parallel phrasestype of:rhetorical devicea use of language that creates a literary effect (but often without regard for literal significance)
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Vocabulary lists containing chiasmus
From alliteration to zeugma, this list covers the literary devices you need to know in order to understand and analyze poetry. To learn even more about poetry, explore our lists on Genre and Structure and Meter.
You'll be able to express yourself with style once you learn these rhetorical devices and tropes. This vocabulary list covers a wide range of techniques used in formal speech and writing, from alliteration to zeugma.
