Previous
Motifs
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 9: In Which It Appears That a Senator is but a Man
Explanation and Analysis—Sorrow Springs Joys:
In Chapter 9, Senator Bird, who supports the Fugitive Slave Act, justifies the practice of capturing runaway slaves, while his wife disagrees with him. When Eliza shows up with her son in need of protection and shelter, the Birds are forced to directly confront their beliefs. Mrs. Bird, who believes it is her duty as a Christian to help those in need, eventually convinces the Senator of the same. After the Birds accept Eliza and her son into their home, the narrator comments upon their unexpected generosity using figurative language and a series of oxymorons:
There are in this world blessed souls, whose sorrows all spring up into joys for others; whose earthly hopes, laid in the grave with many tears, are the seed from which spring healing flowers and balm for the desolate and the distressed.
Related Themes:
