Chrysti the Wordsmith > Radio Scripts

Last time we began to explore the concept of chiasmus, a reversal in the order of words in two otherwise parallel phrases. Though the term chiasmus may sound strange to the ear, most people already know what the word represents. President John F. Kennedy uttered the most famous chiastic line in modern history during his inaugural address of January 20, 1961 when he said

Ask not what your country can do for you
Ask what you can do for your country.
President Kennedy stirred the hearts of millions by simply inverting the order of key words inside two phrases.

The power of chiasmus can move the soul. It can also amuse. Mae West said, It's not the men in my life, it's the life in my men. Chiastic formulations have also been used to add weight to guiding principles: Judge not, that you be not judged, proclaims the New Testament. Chief Seattle said, The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth.

The information for today's Wordsmith edition was gleaned from a handbook on chiasmus by Dr. Mardy Grothe called never let a fool kiss you, or a kiss fool you. This is the book to read if you're interested in these marvelous inverted statements.

Radio Script > Chiasmus II