What is the central function of 'chiasmus' as a rhetorical figure of speech?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Inverting the structural order of words or concepts in parallel phrases (ABBA pattern)
- Step 1: Chiasmus creates balance and emphasis by reversing grammatical structures (e.g., 'Ask not what your country can do...'). Step 2. The mirror pattern (A-B then B-A) creates profound philosophical contrast and memorable rhetorical resonance. Answer: Inverting the structural order of words or concepts in parallel phrases (ABBA pattern). Why not the others: Ascending order is climax; omitting conjunctions is asyndeton; attribute substitution is metonymy.
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