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Antimetabole

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A figure of speech in which words or phrases are repeated in reverse grammatical order (e.g., “Ask not what your country can do for you…”).

Detailed Definition
Antimetabole is a rhetorical figure involving the repetition of words in reverse order (e.g., “Ask not what your country can do for you…”), creating symmetry and emphasis; in poetry, it reinforces thematic duality or paradox through mirrored phrasing.
Example
Example in poetry:
John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country” exemplifies Antimetabole; Shakespeare’s Richard II: “I wasted time, and now doth time waste me”; modern example: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (Macbeth) uses Antimetabole for moral inversion; the device creates memorable symmetry while reversing meaning; Antimetabole appears in political rhetoric and philosophical poetry to highlight paradox
Additional Notes
Repetition of words in reverse order (A-B / B-A). Chiastic structure. Creates balance and emphasis. Kennedy's "Ask not what your country..." exemplifies. Powerful rhetorical device for memorable phrasing.
Other Meanings of “Antimetabole”
Also Known As
Chiasmus reversal Reversed repetition Mirror structure ABBA pattern
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