Balance & Opposition

Juxtaposition

juk-stuh-puh-ZISH-un

Placing things side by side so the reader can compare them. The relationship may remain unstated.

"The apparition of these faces in the crowd; / Petals on a wet, black bough." — Pound

Don't confuse it with Antithesis. Antithesis states its contrast in balanced grammar; juxtaposition just sets the two things down and walks away.

Examples

At the palace, dinner was served on gold. Outside the gate, a child searched the bins.

Practice example · written for this exercise

The adjacent scenes invite a comparison between wealth and hunger without explaining it.