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Antithesis &
Chiasmus
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a figure that balances or contrasts by juxtaposing phrases or clauses; from the Greek anti 'against' and thesis 'setting' or 'place'
a figure that reverses grammatical structure to emphasize a point; chiasmus generally follows an 'XYYX' semantic pattern: 'learned (X) unwillingly (Y)' becomes '(Y) willingly (X) unlearned', for example; also known as antimetabole
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Examples
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Antithesis
Alexander Pope To err is human; to forgive divine. Emiliano Zapata I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees. Abraham Lincoln Folks who have no vices have very few virtues. Martin Luther King Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Richard Nixon Those who have been left out, we will try to bring in. Those left behind, we will help to catch up. Charles Dickens It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity. |
Chiasmus
Cicero One should live to eat, not eat to live. Unknown Quitters never win and winners never quit. It is hard to make money, but to spend it is easy. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Oscar Wilde Life imitates art far more than art imitates life. Barack Obama My job is not to represent Washington to you, but to represent you to Washington. Samuel Johnson Sir, your manuscript is both good and original; but the parts that are good are not original, and the parts that are original are not good. |
P.G. Wodehouse
"I expect the waiting room is full of dukes who want cooks and cooks who want dukes".
Samuel Kirkham
If you wish to enrich a person, study not to increase his stores, but to diminish his desires.
Winston Churchill
Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.
"I expect the waiting room is full of dukes who want cooks and cooks who want dukes".
Samuel Kirkham
If you wish to enrich a person, study not to increase his stores, but to diminish his desires.
Winston Churchill
Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.
Purpose
Opposition & Reversal
Antithesis creates oppositions between words or ideas. Chiasmus reverses grammatical structure in phrases or clauses. Both figures express complex ideas musically, wittily and memorably. Memorable ones can become aphorisms:
Mae West
It's not the men in my life; it's the life in my men.
It's not the men in my life; it's the life in my men.
Usage
Patterns, Memory & Logic
We can use antithesis and chiasmus to show our intellect and amuse and delight our audience. The figures seem intellectual because they economically and rhythmically express ideas or wisdom. Audiences will more likely enjoy and remember rhythmic and patterned ideas because the human mammal seeks and enjoys patterns.
Antony Jay
The uncreative mind can spot wrong answers, but it takes a creative mind to spot wrong questions.
The uncreative mind can spot wrong answers, but it takes a creative mind to spot wrong questions.
Politics & Chiasmus
Expectations are high for big political speeches so leading politicians often use antithesis and chiasmus. President Kennedy used them often.
Chiasmi in the speeches of J.F. Kennedy
Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.
Let us never negotiate out of fear; but let us never fear to negotiate.
Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.
Each increase of tension has produced an increase of arms; each increase of arms has produced an increase of tension.
Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.
Let us never negotiate out of fear; but let us never fear to negotiate.
Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.
Each increase of tension has produced an increase of arms; each increase of arms has produced an increase of tension.
Chiasmus, Comedy & Wit
Chiasmus works best when the juxtapositions express or combine knowledge, comedy and wit. A witty chiasmus may subvert the internal logic of juxtaposition for comedic effect. The following examples combine chiasmus with paradox.
P.G Wodehouse
He was knitting a sock. He knitted a good deal, he would tell you if you asked him, to keep himself from smoking, adding that he also smoked a good deal to keep himself from knitting.
He saw now what he had never seen before: that it was not because they were crack players that crack players wore plus-fours. It was because they wore plus-fours that they were crack players.
There is every kind of restaurant in London, from the restaurant which makes you fancy you're in Paris to the restaurant which makes you wish you were.
He was knitting a sock. He knitted a good deal, he would tell you if you asked him, to keep himself from smoking, adding that he also smoked a good deal to keep himself from knitting.
He saw now what he had never seen before: that it was not because they were crack players that crack players wore plus-fours. It was because they wore plus-fours that they were crack players.
There is every kind of restaurant in London, from the restaurant which makes you fancy you're in Paris to the restaurant which makes you wish you were.
Punctuation & Delivery
Antithesis and chiasmus require careful punctuation and delivery. Disagreement exists over whether commas, periods, semi-colons or colons should punctuate the figures. Semi-colons are probably safer, but commas may be preferred for separating short clauses.
Good oral delivery requires pausing between the contrasts and emphatic stressing of the parallel elements, as J.F.K does below. See also the figures of music and repetition.
Good oral delivery requires pausing between the contrasts and emphatic stressing of the parallel elements, as J.F.K does below. See also the figures of music and repetition.
J.F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, 1961