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Oxymorons
Definition of Paradox
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar Wilde's famous declaration that "Life is... read full definition
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar... read full definition
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel... read full definition
Key Examples in Three Men in a Boat
Chapter 19
Explanation and Analysis—Two Rivers:
Toward the end of the novel and the men’s journey, J. employs a paradox to describe the dual nature of the Thames. He presents two versions of it simultaneously to the reader, describing it as a golden paradise and a dark, haunted wasteland:
The river – [...] gleaming gay on many a far sail, making soft the air with glory – is a golden fairy stream. But the river – chill and weary, with the ceaseless raindrops falling [...] shrouded in their mists of vapour, stand like ghosts upon the margin; silent ghosts with eyes reproachful, like the ghosts of evil actions, like the ghosts of friends neglected – is a spirit-haunted water through the land of vain regrets.
Related Themes:
