For writers and other artists who are seeking their audience's attention, an oxymoron is a tool which combines economy of language with a startling phrasing, leaving the audience with an image and words that are difficult to forget.
Definition of the Literary Technique: Oxymoron
The term comes from Greek, with "oxy" meaning "sharp, and "moros"meaning dull or stupid. An oxymoron as a literary term consists of two seemingly contradictory or opposing words. The juxtaposition of the two words is startling to the audience, and thus captures their attention, and creates a powerful form of expression.
Examples of the Literary Technique: Oxymoron
There are many famous, or infamous, and well-known, well-worn oxymorons. Here are just a few:
- Jumbo shrimp
- dim light
- sad clown
- civil war
In each case, the audience is startled from the status quo, and forced to process the opposing words that describe a unique item or idea. These oxymorons are so common that they now approach cliches.
Some oxymorons are a sort of social satire:
Because of their brevity, oxymorons are economical ways to quickly make a point about people, society, or institutions that could be improved. In each of the following examples, the opposing words also make a critical statement about a person, an institution, or a social situation.
- Happy marriage
- good class
- good teacher
- air traffic control
- a holy terror
- military intelligence (a favorite often supplied by military people)
A website, "Oxymorons (or Oxymora) Example Oxymorons," offers many other examples, including:
- clearly confused
- unbiased opinion
- peacekeeper missile
Elizabethan and Neo-Classical Literature
Often, writers from the Elizabethan era, such as William Shakespeare, and the Neo-Classical era that followed, with Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift, used the oxymoron for wit and to support their themes. Here are some examples from a post writer named "Senior Judge" on the website Expert Law:
From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet comes "heavy lightness." (Act 1, Scene 1).
From Jonathan Swift come the words "humbly bold."
How a Paradox Differs from an Oxymoron, or Contradiction in Terms
An oxymoron is a form of paradox, which is generally described as contradicory ideas. However, an oxymoron is generally shorter and more succinct, being expressed in only a few words, and therefore differs from the paradox, which often consists of two complete ideas linked together, as in "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
Oxymorons Stay with the Audience
Very often, oxymorons are easy to remember, due to their poetic-like brevity. Like the modern "sound bite," oxymorons can carry a world of meaning inside only a few words.
References
Comet, Renee. "Steamed Shrimp." 1994.
Senior Judge. Expert Law. "Oxymoron v. Paradox." July 2006.
Jurvetson, Steve. "Earthshine." 20 January 2007.
Mirzzaim "Chuchin the Clown Looking Sad." Unknown Date.
Otis, George A. "Civil War Facial Wound." Photo of Private Joseph Harvey. 22 June 1865.
Teresa Knudsen - Teresa's writing appears in the British Library, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. Online she has written for USA Today and E How.
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