Oxymoron and Paradox

Interpret phrases and statements that seem self-contradictory but reveal a truth.

An oxymoron puts two contradictory words side by side: 'deafening silence', 'bittersweet', 'jumbo shrimp', 'original copy'. The word itself is a tiny oxymoron, from Greek parts meaning sharp and dull. Writers use oxymorons to capture complicated feelings that a single word cannot. 'Bittersweet' perfectly names the feeling of graduating: happy to move on, sad to leave.

A paradox is a whole statement that seems to contradict itself but holds a deeper truth: 'The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know. ' On the surface, learning should make you feel you know more. The truth underneath is that each answer opens new questions. To analyze either device, first notice the clash, then ask how both halves can be true at once. In 'a deafening silence', the silence is so noticeable and uncomfortable that it feels as loud as noise. That resolution is the meaning.

• 1An oxymoron joins two contradictory words.
• 2A paradox is a statement that seems contradictory but is true.
• 3Ask how both halves can be true at once.