A figure of speech that has two phrases that are parallel and opposite.
Chiasmus is a figure of speech that has two phrases that are parallel and opposite. The second phrase is a reversal of the first, creating a mirror-like rhetorical effect.
Perhaps the most famous example is President John F. Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country." The sentence structure reverses while maintaining parallel construction.
Chiasmus creates memorable, balanced statements that linger in the reader's mind. The symmetrical structure gives weight and authority to the idea being expressed, which is why it appears frequently in speeches, proverbs, and poetry.
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