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paradoxical juxtaposition

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

The deliberate placement of logically incompatible images or ideas (e.g., "deafening silence") to provoke cognitive dissonance and deeper meaning.

Detailed Definition
Paradoxical juxtaposition is a poetic device that places logically incompatible or contradictory elements in direct proximity to create tension, surprise, or revelation. By forcing paradoxical elements into relationship, poets challenge binary thinking and explore complexity that resists simple resolution. This technique can reveal how apparent opposites may coexist, interpenetrate, or depend upon each other, reflecting the genuine paradoxes of human experience. Paradoxical juxtaposition invites readers to move beyond surface contradiction toward deeper understanding, often suggesting that truth itself may be paradoxical and that meaning emerges from the creative tension between incompatible elements.
Example
Example in poetry:
Paradoxical juxtaposition: Placing contradictory ideas side-by-side; Donne's paradoxes; Opposing concepts joined; Logical contradictions presented together
Additional Notes
paradoxical juxtaposition|Placing paradoxical or contradictory elements together to create complexity and layered meaning.
Also Known As
contradictory alignment dissonant pairing ironic contrast Contradictory juxtaposition
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