An oxymoron is a literary device that combines two seemingly contradictory terms to create a paradoxical effect. It is used to provoke thought by contrasting two ideas against each other. In this article, we look at some examples of oxymorons from literature.
Examples of Oxymoron
1. Shakespeare, “Sonnet 129”
In Sonnet 129, Shakespeare details how destructive human lust can be and uses oxymorons throughout the sonnet in the process.
Th' expense of spirit in a waste of shame
Is lust in action; and till action, lust
Is perjured, murd'rous, bloody, full of blame,
Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust,
Enjoyed no sooner but despisèd straight,
Past reason hunted; and, no sooner had
Past reason hated as a swallowed bait
On purpose laid to make the taker mad;
Mad in pursuit and in possession so,
Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme;
A bliss in proof and proved, a very woe;
Before, a joy proposed; behind, a dream.
All this the world well knows; yet none knows well
To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.
Phrases such as “Enjoyed no sooner but despisèd straight” highlight the paradox of humans getting what they lust after and immediately regretting or feeling ashamed about it. In the final couplet, the juxtaposition of "heaven" and "hell" articulates the oxymoronic nature of lust, highlighting its irresistible appeal and inevitable regret.
2. Macbeth
Shakespeare uses oxymoron to increase the tension and highlight the themes in Macbeth. One of the most famous examples occurs in Act 1, Scene 1, when the witches chant:
Fair is foul, and foul is fair.
This oxymoron encapsulates the play’s central theme of morality turned upside down and inside out, which culminates early in the play with Macbeth murdering King Duncan as Duncan slept innocently under Macbeth’s roof as a host.
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3. T.S. Eliot, ‘The Hollow Men”
T.S. Eliot masterfully uses oxymorons in his famous poem “Hollow Men” (1925):
We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!
Our dried voices, when
We whisper together
Are quiet and meaningless
As wind in dry grass
Or rats' feet over broken glass
In our dry cellar
Shape without form, shade without colour,
Paralysed force, gesture without motion;
From the first two lines, we see an oxymoron in the "hollow men" being simultaneously described as "hollow" and "stuffed” —- a contradiction that reflects their lack of purpose and meaning, although they are alive. This duality emphasizes the emptiness and despair that Eliot tends to associate with modern life.
Cite this EminentEdit article |
Antoine, M. (2024, December 16). What Is an Oxymoron? EminentEdit. https://www.eminentediting.com/post/what-is-an-oxymoron |
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