Antimetabole

In rhetoric, antimetabole (/æntɪməˈtæbəl/ AN-ti-mə-TAB-ə-lee) 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". It is related to, and sometimes considered a special case of, chiasmus.

An antimetabole can be predictive, because it is easy to reverse the terms. It may trigger deeper reflection than merely stating one half of the line.[1]

Examples

Etymology

It is derived from the Greek ἀντιμεταβολή (antimetabolḗ), from ἀντί (antí, 'against, opposite') and μεταβολή (metabolḗ, 'turning about, change').

See also

References

  1. Fahnestock, Jeanne (1999). Rhetorical Figures in Science. Oxford University Press. pp. 123–134.
  2. "Mark 2:23-28 NIV". Bible Gateway.
  3. "Malcolm X: Speech excerpt "Ballot or the Bullet"".
  4. Douglass, Frederick (1995). Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc. p. 13. ISBN 0-486-28499-9.
  5. Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Act I, Scene 1, 12.
  6. "Inauguration Speech". The New York Times. US Capitol. January 20, 2021.
  7. Wilde, Oscar (2000). The Picture of Dorian Gray. London: Penguin Classics. p. 203.
  • Corbett, Edward P.J. Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student. Oxford University Press, New York, 1971.


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