Here's a poem by Frost (mentioned by Jill above) which makes highly effective use of chiasmus:

Spring Pools

These pools that, though in forests, still reflect
The total sky almost without defect,
And like the flowers beside them, chill and shiver,
Will like the flowers beside them soon be gone,
And yet not out by any brook or river,
But up by roots to bring dark foliage on.

The trees that have it in their pent-up buds
To darken nature and be summer woods -
Let them think twice before they use their powers
To blot out and drink up and sweep away
These flowery waters and these watery flowers
From snow that melted only yesterday.

I wish I could use the famous Dorothy Parker excuse: I'm too f--ing busy, and vice versa!

Frank

Jan D Hodge, Dylan Thomas is supposed tohave written a hundred line poem that rhymes the same way as your 17th/18th century chap. No much point to it really. One might try a sonnet abcdefggfedcba. I shall think about that.

Mary quoted one of my favorite bits of Tennyson. When I read that opening verse, I wonder why I bother to go on trying.

Of course, the goldfish in the font make for an interesting baptism.

Jan, that is a beautiful and moving poem, and the form sets it off to perfection.
Best,
David

Actually, 102 lines. You can hear the rhyme in the middle, where farms/arms meet. I think Dylan Thomas admitted that there was no real point for the reader, although he felt there was a point for the poet. I agree it's pointless, but I still thought it was neat when I first read it many years ago. Here's the poem:
http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/14.html

Half a minute ago - before I saw this!!! - I used the rhyme farms/arms in a poem. WEIRD!