Balance & Opposition
Oxymoron
Combining contradictory terms in one phrase, such as “deafening silence” or “living death.” The phrase asks the reader to consider both qualities together.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow." — Romeo and Juliet
Don't confuse it with Paradox. Paradox is a contradictory *statement* that unfolds; oxymoron is the two-word spark.
Examples
a deafening silence
“Deafening” and “silence” combine contradictory properties in one noun phrase.
Often used alongside this device
Explore devices that often appear in the same passages as oxymoron.
Synecdoche 5 Litotes 5 Asyndeton 4 Personification 3 Anaphora 3 Hyperbole 3 Apposition / Appositive 3
The rest of the family
Antithesis Parallelism Isocolon Chiasmus Antimetabole Juxtaposition Paradox