The word “paradox” derives from the Greek word “paradoxons,” meaning contrary to expectation. In literature, a paradox is a literary device that contradicts itself but contains a plausible kernel of truth . ... While a paradox is the opposition of ideas or themes, an oxymoron is a contradiction merely between words.
What is an example of paradox in literature?
Famous Examples of Paradox
“ I can’t live with or without you ” (With or Without You, lyrics by U2) “Whatever you do in life will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it” (Ghandi) “Men work together... Whether they work together or apart” (Robert Frost)
What is an example of a paradox?
An example of a paradox is “Waking is dreaming” . A paradox is a figure of speech in which a statement appears to contradict itself. This type of statement can be described as paradoxical. A compressed paradox comprised of just a few words is called an oxymoron.
What is a paradox easy definition?
paradox • PAIR-uh-dahks • noun. 1 a : a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true b : a self-contradictory statement that at first seems true 2 : one (as a person, situation, or action) having seemingly contradictory qualities or phases.
How do you explain paradox to a child?
A paradox is a statement that seems to contradict itself , or seems to go against itself, but may contain a basic or underlying truth when examined more closely. A paradox may be thought of as working against common sense but seems to be true, or state a truth.
How do you explain a paradox?
A paradox is a logically self-contradictory statement or a statement that runs contrary to one’s expectation. It is a statement that, despite apparently valid reasoning from true premises, leads to a seemingly self-contradictory or a logically unacceptable conclusion.
What are some paradoxes in life?
- The Pursuit of Happiness makes you unhappy. ...
- Social media disconnects us from each other. ...
- Solitude makes you more sociable. ...
- The only constant is change. ...
- The only certainty is uncertainty.
What is the purpose of a paradox in literature?
The purpose of a paradox is to arrest attention and provoke fresh thought . The statement “Less is more” is an example. Francis Bacon’s saying, “The most corrected copies are commonly the least correct,” is an earlier literary example.
How do you identify a paradox in literature?
A paradox is a statement, proposition, or situation that seems illogical, absurd or self-contradictory, but which, upon further scrutiny, may be logical or true — or at least contain an element of truth. Paradoxes often express ironies and incongruities and attempt to reconcile seemingly opposing ideas .
What is the difference between oxymoron and paradox?
An oxymoron is the conjunction of two words with meanings that contradict each other. While a paradox is the opposition of ideas or themes, an oxymoron is a contradiction merely between words .
How do you use the word paradox?
- In a strange paradox, the medicine made Heather sick before it made her better.
- The idea of being cruel to be kind is a paradox because cruelty is not normally associated with kindness.
- By definition a paradox is two contrasting situations put together to create a provoking idea.
What is a famous paradox?
Russell’s paradox is the most famous of the logical or set-theoretical paradoxes. Also known as the Russell-Zermelo paradox, the paradox arises within naïve set theory by considering the set of all sets that are not members of themselves.
What is the difference between oxymoron and paradox with examples?
An Oxymoron is the integration of words that are opposite to each other to structure a unique word or phrase. For example: dark light . A paradox is a seemingly self-contradictory phrase, a sentence or group of sentences that isn’t true but likewise isn’t false either.
How do you write a paradox?
To write a literary paradox, you need a character or situation that combines disparate elements . This is hard to do in the abstract! So it’s usually better to try to observe paradoxes first. Find people or situations in history, in literature, or in real life to act as inspiration for your original literary paradox.
What is a good sentence for paradox?
(1) The facts pose something of a paradox. (2) It’s a paradox that in such a rich country there can be so much poverty. (3) It is a curious paradox that professional comedians often have unhappy personal lives. (4) The paradox is that the region’s most dynamic economies have the most primitive financial systems.
