Home › Glossary › Letter C

Contradiction poem

Genre
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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 poem that foregrounds paradox, inconsistency, or opposing ideas as its central technique

Detailed Definition
A contradiction poem is a lyric or stanza that deliberately embraces paradox, inconsistency, or opposing statements to reflect complex psychological states, philosophical dilemmas, or the ambiguities of human experience; rather than resolving tension, it sustains cognitive dissonance as a formal and thematic strategy, echoing the metaphysical tradition’s fascination with irreconcilable truths.
Example
Example in poetry:
Wallace Stevens’ “The Snow Man” holds contradictory states: perceiving “nothing that is not there and the nothing that is”; Emily Dickinson’s “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” celebrates anonymity while seeking connection; W.B. Yeats’ “The Circus Animals’ Desertion” admits failure while crafting art from it; modern example: “I speak to be silent. I write to erase.”
Additional Notes
A contradiction poem deliberately juxtaposes opposing statements or images to reveal deeper truths or paradoxes; it thrives on cognitive dissonance and is common in metaphysical and surrealist poetry.
Also Known As
Paradoxical verse Self-negating lyric Oxymoronic stanzas Contradiction verse Refutation poetry
Skip to main content