Which rhetorical device is exemplified by the deliberate repetition of words in reverse grammatical order: 'Je moet niet leven om te eten, maar eten om te leven'?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Chiasme (kruisstelling), crossing two parallel syntactic structures
- Step 1: A chiasmus (chiasme or kruisstelling) arranges corresponding terms in an ABBA pattern. Step 2. In 'leven (A) om te eten (B), maar eten (B) om te leven (A)', the syntactic crossing forms a memorable rhetorical mirror. Answer: Chiasme (kruisstelling), crossing two parallel syntactic structures. Why not the others: Anaphora repeats words at the beginning of clauses; asyndeton omits coordinating conjunctions; antithesis contrasts ideas without the structural mirror inversion.
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