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Definition of Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal a deeper or hidden truth... read full definition
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal... read full definition
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to... read full definition
Chapter 33
Explanation and Analysis—The Sea A Desert:
In this excerpt, Verne uses metaphor and oxymoron to convey Axel’s despair at the stark emptiness of the underground sea. He, Lidenbrock, and Hans have been stuck in one place for some time, with no way to propel themselves forward or back:
I take the glass and scan the sea. It is a desert. Perhaps we are still too near the shore. I turn to the air. Why do we see none of the birds reconstructed by the immortal Cuvier, flapping their great wings in this dense atmosphere: these fish would supply them with stores of food. I gaze into space, but the air is as lonely as the waters.
Related Themes:
