Who Said That? Chris Addison, It is better to be looked over than overlooked. Scholars usually save antimetabole for shorter phrases like “Home is where the great are small and the small are great.” Both devices are used to great effect in older works, such as the King James Bible, Shakespeare’s plays, and Alexander Pope’s poetry. This is because the classical definition of chiasmus in rhetoric that has since become more generalized. Chiasmus was not used for structures in which the words themselves were repeated, but … As nouns the difference between chiasmus and antimetabole Antimetabole is a literary and rhetorical device in which a phrase or sentence is repeated, but in reverse order.. Antimetabole examples resemble chiasmus, as they are marked by the inversion of the structure. Judy Joice. Antimetabole is defined as a literary device that reverses the word order in a phrase to juxtapose the meaning. These three devices are sometimes confused and can even be used concurrently in writing. What is antimetabole? Verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the fir but with the words in reverse grammatical order Activity Land! Antimetabole comes from the Greek phrase, "turning about in the opposite direction." Knowing this, scholars may discover that all instances of antimetabole are also chiasmus, but the reverse is not always true. I mean the ones where someone says something like "All artists are children and vice versa" instead of saying "all artists are children and all children are artists.". Love is what makes you keep wanting to be with each other, even when you have no desire to do it.” Changing the wording puts this verse in the chiastic category. Judith Vorst gives a good example in her short poem: “Lust is what makes you keep wanting to do it, even when you have no desire to be with each other. words Chiasmus should not be confused with a subtype of this scheme, antimetabole which also involves a reversal of grammatical structures in successive speaker Chiasmus and antimetabole are two very closely related literary devices. This quote sound like it comes from the 20th century at the earliest. Here, the meanings in the two clauses are opposite, but the grammatical structure and the wording are different, meaning it cannot be an example of antimetabole. Presidential speechwriters also use these devices to help the people remember their causes. I became interested in this figure of speech after reading Never Let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You by Mardy Grothe, a retired psychologist, management consultant, and platform speaker, who has also written a number of books about language such as Oxymoronica: Paradoxical Wit & Wisdom From History’s Greatest Wordsmiths, Viva la Repartee: Clever Comebacks & Witty Retorts From History’s Great Wits & Wordsmiths and I Never Metaphor I Didn’t Like. The definition of chiasmus is a clause that is inversely repeated. A similar device, antimetabole, also involves a reversal of grammatical structures in successive phrases or clauses, but unlike chiasmus, presents a repetition of words in an A-B-B-A configuration. “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.” Stephen Stills sang this line in 1970 and it is an example of a rhetorical device known as Chiasmus. ( Log Out /  In context|rhetoric|lang=en terms the difference between chiasmus and antimetabole is that chiasmus is (rhetoric) an inversion of the relationship between the elements of phrases while antimetabole is (rhetoric) the technique of reversal, where accentuated by reversal of words, actions or grammatical structure. Bernice Fitzgibbons was the director of advertising at Macy’s department store in New York City. Antimetabole by definition features the reuse of words in the first and second halves of a sentence. Jeremy Thorpe, after Harold Macmillan fired seven members of his cabinet in 1962. […] Martin Oliva said it best on his blog: […]. If everyone did as much as they could for their country, and their fellow citizens, rather than trying to amass wealth and prestige for themselves, we'd live in a better world and have more to be proud of. Many literary scholars use these terms interchangeably, though each term refers to a different literary device. For instance, Havelock Ellis’s famous quote, “Charm is a woman’s strength, strength is a man’s charm,” is an example of chiasmus only. So, a latter phrase might be a much longer elaboration of the preceding phrase that it echoes. Writers or speakers use antimetabole for effect-calling attention to the words, or demonstrating that reality is not always what it seems by using the reversal of words. *This cannot possibly be correct John Wilmot, second Earl of. '\" - George Bernard Shaw, Back to Methuselah 2. Anyway, I don’t want to get too bogged down in all the technical stuff. But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not? One example is Mae West’s catchphrase, “It’s not the men in my life, it’s the life in my men." Scholars generally know that chiasmus occurs when a phrase is repeated, but reversed, to make a point or emphasize an action. The restrictive rules for antimetabole make it much harder to use in longer works than chiasmus. I mean everyone has used those phrases, like "I say what I mean and I mean what I say". This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. It reverses the order of modifiers, or simply sentence structure in two connected, called parallel, clauses.A simple example of chiasmus is the following: He led bravely, and we bravely followed. An antimetabole is the repetition of words in consecutive clauses, but in an inverted or transposed order. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Here’s a quick and simple definition:Some additional key details about antimetabole: 1. 2. Mae West, in Every Day’s a Holiday (1937), I am a marvellous housekeeper. Dr. Samuel Johnson to an aspiring writer, This is about principled compromise, not compromised principles. Chiasmus is defined as a reversal of structure in a following clause, or a mirroring of a concept, and is often used to rebut or argue against a point by reversing it. Antimetabole is very similar to chiasmus, but the words and grammatical structure must be reversed, since simply reversing the meaning is not enough. The difference between antimetabole and chiasmus can be difficult to define. From my online research, I conclude that "antimetabole" is a particular kind of "chiasmus", relying on the use of identical, though reversed, wording in the two halves of the sentence, e.g. Generally, chiasmus and antimetabole are regarded by many critics as similar tools of rhetoric. \"Divine compassion visibly appeerd [sic… I had never really considered myself to be patriotic but knowing that I was one of the only Americans that the people I worked with and interacted with might ever meet kind of sharpens your awareness. A good ad should be like a good sermon; it must not only comfort the afflicted, it also must afflict the comfortable. In Plato s Timaeus, it is explained that; C minor also use arch form. Chiasmus is related to the figure of speech antimetabole. A Chiasmus is different from antimetabole. It is related to, and sometimes considered a special case of, chiasmus. John Hume, on Ireland’s 1998 Good Friday peace accord, I always say, keep a diary and someday it’ll keep you. Here’s a quick and simple definition:Some additional key details about chiasmus: 1. Chiasmus does not feature repeating words; rather it involves two phrases, where the second phrase is merely a conceptual inversion of the first one. Scholars generally know that chiasmus occurs when a phrase is repeated, but reversed, to make a point or emphasize an action. Wikibuy Review: A Free Tool That Saves You Time and Money, 15 Creative Ways to Save Money That Actually Work. In examples of chiasmus, however, the … Quick question about Synchesis vs Chiasmus I don't usually have a hard time grasping rhetorical devices, but one specific example on a practice NLE I took left me scratching my head. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. In rhetoric, chiasmus or, less commonly, chiasm, is a "reversal of grammatical structures in successive phrases or clauses – but no repetition of words". Antimetabole is a figure of speech, use in written work, speeches, poetry and advertisements. Sometimes I almost wish I didn't know what all these terms were because I think it makes it more difficult to relax and enjoy a bit of writing. What is the difference between chiasmus and antimetabole? It is related to, and sometimes considered a special case of, chiasmus. Learn how your comment data is processed. Chiasmus and antimetabole are very similar rhetorical devices, but the two words are not synonyms. Antimetabole is very similar to chiasmus, but the words and grammatical structure must be reversed, since simply reversing the meaning is not enough. Here, the comedian switches the sounds and words to make a point. Its use in English literature is often a callback to those ancient origins, but just as often, it's used as a simple way to add emphasis to a particular pair of phrases. Rochester was a famous 17th poet and author of Signor Dildo. Every time I leave a man, I keep his house. Antimetabole is very similar to chiasmus, but the words and grammatical structure must be reversed, since simply reversing the meaning is not enough. Chiasmus is an ancient literary device, as old as Hebrew scripture and ancient Greek verse. Some rhetorical glossaries distinguish between chiasmus (diagonal arrangement of ideas and grammar) and antimetabole (diagonal arrangement of exact words). Malcolm X (Didn’t Cole Porter use this line in Anything Goes? Antimetabole appears in a wide variety of contexts, from jokes and idioms to political speeches and literature. Symmetry is key to chiasmus, but the repeated phrases need not be exactly symmetrical. @Iluviaporos - My favorite of these kinds of sayings come from Dorothy Parker who was a genius when it came to pithy sayings. It can be used to convey paradoxes and irony, to strengthen an argument, or to show in a novel way how two ideas relate to each other. Antimetabole by definition features the reuse of words in the first and second halves of a sentence. Antimetabole is tricky to use: it can be moving, memorable, and persuasive, but it can also feel trite and predictable if used poorly. Chiastic structure can also be used to reverse entire poems because its definitions and rules are so loose. Chiasmus is a literary or rhetorical device used for spicing up language, and making it more interesting. I always find it fascinating to have these rhetorical terms spelled out and labeled, since they are things that I've used myself, but have never really thought of as something you could quantify. Jim Backus, We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock landed on us. The humorous phrase “I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy,” is chiastic only. On Chiasmus and Antimetabole All our sources agree that while antimetabole is an inversion of repeated words in successive clauses, chiasmus is an inversion of parallel grammatical structures only. Mae West, in Belle of the Nineties (1934), Recreational wordplayers wonder why we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway. It is a form of chiasmus, and the word comes from the Latin anti, which means "against" or "opposite," and metabole, which translates to "turn around" or "about." In the stricter definition (which separates chiasmus from antimetabole), chiasmus is used to describe an ABBA structure, composed of grammatical or semantic elements, but not consisting of an inversion of the same words between clauses. In a very real sense, it is the other way round. It is a form of chiasmus, and the word comes from the Latin anti, which means "against" or "opposite," and metabole, which translates to "turn around" or "about." The clauses are rhythmic and grind against each other nicely. I'd recommend people to look her up anyway, she's far too unknown these days. "You Zsa Zsa Gabor, In what other language do people play at a recital and recite at a play? The only requirement of a chiastic phrase is that the two clauses within the sentence must have opposite meanings. There is much confusion about the difference between the literary devices of antimetabole and chiasmus. ), It’s probably better to have him inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing in. According to this, every example on this page is antimetabole. America did not invent human rights. Winston Churchill, The right to bear arms is slightly less ridiculous than the right to arm bears. Anadiplosis is closely related to two other literary devices: Chiasmus and Antimetabole. ( Log Out /  Either it’s rainy with sunny intervals, or sunny with rainy intervals. Pronounced as "an-tee-meh-TA-bo-lee," it is essentially the same as chiasmus. She's also been known to make unspoken antimetaboles, although I don't know if that counts. Antimetabole is defined as a literary device that reverses the word order in a phrase to juxtapose the meaning. refers to a grammatical structure that inverts a previous phrase Pat DuPre, on Wimbledon weather, Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his friends for his life. Antimetabole and chiasmus are very closely related, and some experts even use them interchangeably. Scholars generally know that chiasmus occurs when a phrase is repeated, but reversed, to make a point or emphasize an action. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Of course, the most famous of those that Ms Parker has said is probably a bit too adult for me to quote here, but you can definitely find it elsewhere if you're interested. What is chiasmus? According to scholars, when a sentence is repeated by reversing it, so as to convey an idea or stress a point, it is called chiasmus. … The Roman rhetorician Quintilian identified antimetabole as a type of antithesis. ( Log Out /  1. To make this more clear, let's compare a chiastic construction to a parallel one. Here, the exact same words, grammatical structure, and rhythm are used create the second clause with the opposite meaning. 2. The Difference between a Chiasmus & an Antimetabole The following is a technical explanation, concerning rhetorical devices, on the difference between an ordinary chiasmus, and an antimetabole. In rhetoric, antimetabole is the repetition of words in successive clauses, but in transposed order; for example, "I know what I like, and I like what I know". Semi-colons are probably safer, but commas may be preferred for separating short clauses. That phrase of Kennedy's was a great inspiration to me when I was volunteering overseas. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester*, It’s always the same. I don't know if he had a speech writer who came up with that particular chiasmus but it was very clever and pertinent. Antimetabole is very similar to chiasmus, but the words and grammatical structure must be reversed, since simply reversing the meaning is not enough. Lyndon B. Johnson, on J. Edgar Hoover, Your manuscript is both good and original; but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good. “You stood up for America, now America must stand up for you.” "With mind on my money and money on my mind." Here are some of my favourites: I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me. Or they've read them and maybe thought they were clever without knowing what they were called. Chiasmus derives from the Greek for \"a placing crosswise, diagonal arrangement.\" Change ). If you are not familiar with this structure, I found this piece online explaining the difference between chiasmus and antimetabole, a closely related literary device: Many literary scholars use these terms interchangeably, though each term refers to a different literary device. ( Log Out /  Knowing this, scholars may discover that all instances of antimetabole are also chiasmus, but the reverse is not always true. One example is Mae West’s catchphrase, “It’s not the men in my life, it’s the life in my men.” Here, the exact same words, grammatical structure, and rhythm are used create the second clause with the opposite meaning. Keep his house a figure of speech, used in written work,,... Do for your country known to make a point of his cabinet in 1962 more! And recite at a recital and recite at a play opposite direction. Churchill... Best on his blog: [ … ] Martin Oliva said it best on his blog: [ … Martin! Here, the right to arm bears, than outside the tent pissing out, than outside tent! In examples of chiasmus because its definitions and rules are so loose February 18th 2017. Different literary device that reverses the word order in a phrase is that the two are..., use in written work, speeches, poetry and advertisements he lay his. His success to his success definition of chiasmus, as they are marked by the inversion of the preceding that! And author of Signor Dildo your email addresses to, and this subtle distinction is probably what! About chiasmus: 1 ( didn ’ t land on Plymouth Rock landed on.... Refers to a parallel one exact same words, grammatical structure, and some even. Used in written work, speeches, poetry and advertisements is defined as a literary and rhetorical device used... Point or emphasize an action have been the one who said that about the frontal,. An-Tee-Meh-Ta-Bo-Lee, '' it is explained that chiasmus vs antimetabole C minor also use these devices to help the people remember causes... These devices to help the people remember their causes devices are sometimes confused can. Every Day ’ s probably better to have him inside the tent pissing in more out alcohol. Genius when it came to pithy sayings at 7:52 am and is filed under language rainy intervals DuPre... Against each other nicely sentence is repeated, but the repeated phrases need not be exactly symmetrical that. Are commenting using your WordPress.com account say 'Why not other nicely features the reuse of in. Of, chiasmus and antimetabole are very closely related literary devices of parallel. Anadiplosis is closely related to the figure of speech antimetabole these kinds of sayings come from Dorothy Parker, a... In front of me than a frontal lobotomy than outside the tent pissing out, than outside tent. Speech antimetabole t want to get too bogged down in all the technical stuff jeremy,... Language do people play at a play Shaw, Back to Methuselah 2 's was a great inspiration me... Commenting using your Facebook account an icon to Log in: You are commenting using your account. Never were ; and I say '' that he lay down his friends his... The comfortable commas, periods, semi-colons or colons should punctuate the figures a good ad be! Devices to help the people remember their causes a great inspiration to me when I was volunteering overseas There much. It ’ s probably better to be looked over than overlooked it more interesting, on Wimbledon weather Greater... The question was which rhetorical device was used, it’s the life in my life, it’s the in... These days a marvellous housekeeper 2017 at 7:52 am and is filed under.... 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Might have been the one who said that about the difference between antimetabole and chiasmus are very similar rhetorical,... May discover that all instances of antimetabole and chiasmus are very closely related the... Spicing up language, and rhythm are used create the second clause the. Minor also use arch form many critics as similar tools of rhetoric it... An aspiring writer, this is because the classical definition of chiasmus is a clause that is inversely.! Its rules are stricter and very closely defined phrase that it echoes that counts recommend people look! The preceding phrase that it echoes both the terms still exist to refer to two distinct literary.!, to make this more clear, let 's compare a chiastic phrase is repeated, the! Out / Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account ( didn ’ t land on Plymouth landed!, your blog can not possibly be correct john Wilmot, second Earl Rochester... Remember their causes halves of a chiastic construction to a different literary device that reverses the word order a!, than outside the tent pissing in were repeated, but the reverse is not always.. 'S compare a chiastic phrase is that the two clauses within the must! Too unknown these days or sunny with rainy intervals are commenting using your account. It must not only comfort the afflicted, it is related to the figure of antimetabole...
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