Oxymoron

Etymology and Meanings of Literary Device of Oxymoron

Etymologically, the literary device of oxymoron finds its roots in a Greek term, oxymoros. Both have almost the same spellings except the last ‘s.’ In Greek, it is an adjective that means foolish, pointed, or sharp. As far as its roots are concerned, it comprises ak- which means sharp, and moros which means stupid.

It is also stated that a Latin term, oxymorum, also means the same thing. Therefore, that, too, could be its real root. Whatever the case is, its meanings are that an oxymoron is a pair of words having contradictory meanings.

In grammar, it is a noun having oxymorons as its plural.

Definition of Literary Devic of Oxymoron

In literature, it is a rhetorical term. It means two opposite terms, words, or ideas put together despite having contradictions in their meanings.

Types of Literary Device of Oxymoron

There are three major types of oxymorons.

1. Comic Pairs
2. Serious Pairs
3. Antonymic Pairs

Common Examples of Oxymorons

• Disciplined mob
• Organized crowd
• Public announcement
• Living death
• Wisely foolish
• Foolishly wise
• Terribly pretty
• Awfully nice
• Small crowd

Literary Examples of Oxymorons

Example # 1

From “Astrophil and Stella” by Philip Sidney

O, absent presence, Stella is not here;

    False flattering hope, that with so fair a face

    Bare me in hand, that in this orphan place

Stella, I say my Stella, should appear.

What say’st thou now? Where is that dainty cheer

    Thou told’st mine eyes should help their famished case?

These verses are from Philip Sidney’s poem “Astrophil and Stella.” The very first line shows the use of an oxymoron that is “absent presence.” This is an apt oxymoron to show that if Stella is not present there, then everybody takes notice of her absence and Astrophil sees that although she is not present, she has become conspicuous through her absence. It is because she has attracted the attention of everybody.

Example # 2

From Devotions by John Donne

O miserable abundance, O beggarly riches! how much do we lack of having remedies for  very disease, when as yet we have not names for them? But we have a Hercules against these giants, these monsters; that is, the physician; he musters up all the forces of the other world to succour this, all nature to relieve man. We have the physician, but we are not the physician. Here we shrink in our proportion, sink in our dignity, in respect of very mean creatures, who are physicians to themselves. The hart that is pursued and wounded, they say, knows an herb, which being eaten throws off the arrow: a strange kind of vomit.

This passage occurs in Devotions by Johbn Donne. In this passage, he addresses abundance, calling it miserable. The first two pairs show the beautiful usage of an oxymoron. This oxymoronic prose shows his mastery in demonstrating how different words could be paired to be used to manage one’s message to religious audiences.

Example # 3

From One Door Away from Heaven by Dean Koontz

Change isn’t easy… changing the way you live means changing what you believe about life. That’s hard… When we make our own misery, we sometimes cling to it even when we want so bad to change because the misery is something we know. The misery is comfortable.

This passage from the novel, One Door Away from Heaven, byKoontz shows that Koontz is very skillful in using oxymoronic pairs. He has used it here as misery that is comfortable. Although it could have been discomforting misery, he has beautifully turned it into a subject with comfortable as its complement.

Example # 4

From Paradise Lost by John Milton

No light, but rather darkness visible

Serv’d onely to discover sights of woe,

Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace

And rest can never dwell, hope never comes

That comes to all; but torture without end

Still urges, and a fiery Deluge, fed

With ever-burning Sulphur unconsum’d:

These verses from the popular English epic, Paradise Lost, show Milton at his best in using a beautiful oxymoron such as “darkness visible.” Although it is unnoticeable, a close reading shows how darkness becomes visible when a person becomes habitual of darkness. Therefore, this oxymoronic use of the pair shows his mastery in using literary devices such as oxymoron.

Example # 5

From “Sonnet XL” by William Shakespeare

Although thou steal thee all my poverty:
And yet, love knows it is a greater grief
To bear love’s wrong, than hate’s known injury.
Lascivious grace, in whom all ill well shows,
Kill me with spites yet we must not be foes.

Shakespeare has used two major oxymorons here; the first one is stealing poverty which is an impossible task as a poor person has nothing worth stealing. The second is lascivious grace as a lascivious person does not have any grace. Both show his mastery of the usage of this term.

Example # 6

From Don Juan by Lord Byron

Of melancholy merriment, to quote
Too much of one sort would be soporific; —
Without, or with, offence to friends or foes,
I sketch your world exactly as it goes.

Lord Byron has used an oxymoron in the very first line of this verse from “Don Juan.” This is “melancholy merriment” which seems that both words are opposite to each other and yet both have supported each other in clarifying the position of Byron about his views about Don Juan.

How to Create Oxymorons

1. Plan the context and use contradictory terms. Such as if you are in the darkness, use visible with it.
2. Reader the full sentence within the context.
3. Evaluate the meanings and impacts.
4. Evaluate the reader’s response.

Benefits of Using Oxymoron

1. Oxymoron makes ideas complex for the readers.
2. It adds depth to a concept or idea.
3. It makes the concept beautiful.
4. It makes readers alert about the complexity of the situation described through words.

Literary Device of Oxymorons in Literary Theory

1. Although oxymoron is a simple term used in figurative language, it mostly applies in formalism literary theory where figures of speech create tension or conflict and make thematic strand clear. Besides this, it also helps in understanding a piece of literature when seen from different lenses.
2. Other than formalism or New Criticism, it does not specifically help in a critique from specific literary perspectives such as postmodernism or postcolonialism, or indigenous critical theory. Yet, its significance does not lose its luster, for it is an integral part of structuralism, post-structuralism, and deconstructionism. Even in feminism, this tops the list when comparing patriarchy and femininity.

Suggested Readings

Abrams, Meyer Howard, and Geoffrey Harpham. A Glossary Of Literary Terms. Cengage Learning, 2014. Print.

Flayih, M. “A Linguistic Study of Oxymoron.” Journal Of Kerbala University 5.1 (2009): 30-40. Hameed, Hind Tasheen, and Hind Tahseen. “Oxymoron in Day-to-Day Speech.” The Asian ESP Journal (2020): 140.

More from Literary Devices:

• Malapropism-2
• Parody
• Parody: Spotting, Using and Writing