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Figures of Speech IloveIndia
When words are pitted against each other, it becomes antimetabole. Browse through the antimetabole examples for a deeper insight into the subject.

Antimetabole Examples

Antimetaboles are figures of speech that you might have come across a dozen of times in course of a conversation or while reading a piece of literature, but just ignored it as any other phrase or idiomatic expression. An antimetabole refers to two unique arrangements of words in a particular sentence. Here ideas, expressions, or a series of numbers appear in two unique patterns, where the second pattern or order appears in a sequence that is in opposite direction to the first pattern or order. Here are very simple examples of antimetaboles: I-J-K, K-J-I or 1, 2,3,4,5 - 5, 4,3,2,1. With the help of these examples, understanding what antimetabole means should not be much of a trouble for you. Apply the same logic to words or sentences and you have for yourself a whole lot of antimetaboles. Explore this article for examples on antimetabole and gain a better understanding of this rhetoric device.

Examples Of Antimetabole
Remember, antimetaboles can only be deemed effective when they make enough sense. If they fail to make sense, they cannot really be considered as antimetaboles. People who believe that they have mastered the art of churning out antimetaboles often come up with phrases or sentences that are very different from what they really imply. For example, a 'smart Alec' may try come with something like this and expect it to pass off as an antimetabole, which may not really be the case: 'Just because the lion is asleep, does not make the lion sleep'. Now, one look at this example and anyone would tell you that not only are it not an antimetabole. It is also not a sentence that can be considered as grammatically correct. You will have to keep this in mind when dealing with it. Antimetaboles are effective and help drive home a point only because they are memorable. Anyone who can relate to the first half can make sense out of the second half, if expressed well. On a parting note, look at this example: "It is not about the years in your life, but about the life in your years." Now, an example like this will make a lot of sense to the topic on hand, not only because it is antimetabole, but also because it is grammatically correct.