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Difficulty: MediumPoetic Imagery and Figurative Language

Consider the following lines from a poem:

"A deafening silence filled the air,
Where shadow spoke and cold light bled."

Which figure of speech is exemplified by the phrase "deafening silence" in the extract above?

  1. OxymoronAnswer
  2. B
    Paradox
  3. C
    Hyperbole
  4. D
    Irony

Answer

The phrase employs an Oxymoron because it directly pairs two contradictory words ('deafening' and 'silence') side-by-side.
The term Oxymoron is correct because 'deafening' and 'silence' are antonymous terms juxtaposed directly to emphasize a sudden or heavy quiet atmosphere.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the components of the target phrase
The phrase 'deafening silence' consists of two adjacent words with directly opposite meanings: 'deafening' (extremely loud) and 'silence' (complete absence of sound).
Identifying word relationship is essential for classifying figures of speech.
2
Distinguish between oxymoron and paradox
An oxymoron is a compact figure of speech pairing two contradictory terms directly next to each other. A paradox, by contrast, is a full sentence or proposition that appears contradictory but reveals a deeper truth.
Preventing confusion between word-level contradiction and statement-level contradiction ensures accurate literary classification.

Key Concept

Oxymoron in Poetic Imagery
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Poetic Imagery and Figurative Language

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