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antithetical combination

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A rhetorical or imagistic technique that juxtaposes opposing concepts (e.g., light/dark) to heighten contrast or reveal paradox.

Detailed Definition
Antithetical combination is a rhetorical and poetic device that deliberately joins opposing or contradictory ideas, images, or concepts to create tension, complexity, or revelation. By placing contraries side by side, poets can illuminate paradoxes, suggest the coexistence of opposites, or challenge binary thinking. This technique is fundamental to much poetry, as it allows exploration of ambiguity and contradiction inherent in human experience. The juxtaposition of antithetical elements can generate new insights, emphasize conflicts, or suggest synthesis and reconciliation between seemingly incompatible forces.
Example
Example in poetry:
Antithetical combination: "Living death" or "sweet sorrow" joining opposites; Milton's "darkness visible" in Paradise Lost; Oxymorons like "deafening silence" or "cruel kindness"; Dickinson's "zero at the bone" combining nothingness with physicality
Additional Notes
antithetical combination|The juxtaposition of two opposite or contrasting ideas within a single phrase or line; enhances tension and highlights paradoxes or contrasts.
Also Known As
oppositional pairing contrasting union dialectical blend Contradictory juxtaposition
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