Writers use oxymorons in literature to illuminate conflict, create new meaning, showcase paradox, and add humor. It is a figure of speech used to convey a larger meaning or set of emotions, and can be effective in guiding readers’ opinions. Examples include “beautiful tyrant, angelic demon” and “deafening silence”.
Writers use the oxymoron in literature for a couple of different reasons, but some of the more common roles include illuminating conflict, creating new meaning, and showcasing some particular paradox. It is also sometimes an element of humor or a way to show a writer’s wit. In general, an oxymoron is a pairing of two seemingly contradictory terms; most examples are single sentences, such as “wise fool,” but the juxtaposition can also be more opaque in a sentence or sentence. In almost all cases it is intentional and writers usually use it to draw attention to something or make a larger point.
General understanding of the device
The oxymoron is perhaps best understood as a figure of speech, though scholars typically refer to it as a “literary device”: a method that writers can use as a vehicle to convey a larger meaning or set of emotions. In most cases it is considered artistic and, when used correctly, can be very effective in guiding readers’ opinions and in “saying without saying”, that is, using words to make a point that does not have to be strictly stated.
Enlightening conflict
The intent of the oxymoron in literature can generally be discerned from how the device was used and the specific words it contains. For example, in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet calls Romeo a “beautiful tyrant, angelic demon” when she discovers he has murdered her cousin. The juxtaposition of these terms together – beautiful and tyrant, demonic and angelic – is most likely an attempt to demonstrate the conflicting emotions Juliet has for Romeo. Though she killed her cousin, which makes him a demon and a tyrant, he’s still beautiful and angelic to her because she’s in love with him.
To create a new meaning
Writers can also use this device as a way to create new meaning. Creative use of language often reaches readers better than simply stating something in plain language would. Oxymorons such as “deafening silence”, “mute scream” and “bittersweet” can create new meanings and lasting images. Including the contradictory words next to each other opens them up to new interpretations. If this interpretation fits the situation, as with Juliet’s confusion of love and hate for Romeo, then the new meaning can be easily understood by readers.
To show a paradox
A sense of confusion or paradox is another possible role of the oxymoron in literature. A character expressing his “terrifying fearlessness” or “joyful mourning,” for example, can both baffle a reader and cause him to stop and think more intently about the situation at hand. Anything can be used by a writer to make the reader question the character’s state of mind, or make the reader less sure of the course of action a character is about to take. They can also reveal an internal conflict, where the character acts and appears one way to the outside world but feels something different within.
As a humorous element
Humor is another possible role for this type of device. Oxymorons as a class aren’t usually funny, but depending on their usage they can be. Sometimes writers combine contradicting terms because they’re funny and the end result is so absurd it’s funny. Authors who use the device in this way are often called “quick wits.”
Referencing compound sentences that aren’t technically oxymoronic with this term can also be fun in the right settings. For example, the phrase “military intelligence” itself is common and quite serious, but when interpreted as an oxymoron, the humor becomes clear. It also works with other phrases like “honest politician,” “government organization,” and “educational television.” Writers often use these kinds of sentences as oxymorons for rhetorical effect.
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