Chiasmus — English definition
A structure whose second half reverses the grammatical order of the first, an ABBA mirror ('when the going gets tough, the tough get going').
Where it is taught
- Advanced Syntax & Rhetorical Style — Language, Style & Conventions, English 12: Complex Texts, Independent Inquiry & Public Voice, Grade 12
In use
Where those schemes build momentum, antithesis and chiasmus sharpen contrast, which is why they produce so many quotable lines.
Advanced Syntax & Rhetorical Style
Questions using chiasmus
Problem 1
Which sentence is an example of CHIASMUS — a structure whose second half reverses the order of the first (an ABBA mirror)?
- When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
- We shall fight in the fields and in the streets.
- The plan was bold, risky, and expensive.
- She likes coffee, and she likes tea.
Answer and explanation
When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Chiasmus reverses the grammatical order of the first half in the second — here 'the going gets tough' becomes 'the tough get going,' an ABBA mirror (going-tough / tough-going). The others are parallel or list structures, not reversals.