Chiasmus is a literary device where the order of words or phrases is reversed in the second of two parallel clauses. It is identified by writing out the two clauses and drawing an X between the key words that are reversed. Examples provided include "Fair is foul, X and foul is fair" from Shakespeare and "Never let a fool kiss you or X a kiss fool you." Not all examples provided are true chiasmus structures.

1. Chiasmus

3. Try the X technique. . . One way to recognize a chiasmus is by writing the two clauses and drawing an x between the key words. " Love makes time pass, X time makes love pass.

4. Example "Fair is foul, X and foul is fair." William Shakespeare

5. Example “ Never let a fool kiss you or X a kiss fool you”

6. Another example "I have taken more out of alcohol X than alcohol has taken out of me.” Winston Churchill

7. Non examples “ The man who misses all the fun is he who says, ’It can’t be done’” Anonymous “ I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends.” Abraham Lincoln “ We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.” Oscar Wilde

8. Which are examples of chiasmus? 1. “I meant what I said and I said what I meant” 2. “It’s not the men in my life it’s the life in my men” 3. “Wish not so much to live long But to live well” 4. “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”

9. Answers Example 1 from Dr. Suess is a chiasmus. Example 2 from Mae West is a chiasmus. Example 3 from Ben Franklin is not a chiasmus. Example 4 from Mark Twain is not a chiasmus.

10. Works Cited Drmardy.com. 2008. Ed. Mardy Grothe 2008. 22 October 2008. < http://www.drmardy.com/chiasmus/neverletafoolkissyou.shtml >. Nordquist, Richard. “Chiasmus.” About.com 22 October 2008. < http://grammar.about.com/od/c/g/chiasmusterm.htm >. Quotes Daddy. 2008. Quotes Daddy. 22 October 2008. http://www.quotesdaddy.com/ >.