I have researched each term repeatedly and have a simple understanding of the meaning of each term, however, I am still not comfortable with my answers. Are the following sentences either paradox, parallelism, oxymoron, or juxtaposition.
1. "She liked to be with people, but her lifestyle tore her away from them."
2. “Today was the day that Whitman students both dreaded and anticipated with glee.”
3. "The marvelously anarchic institution of childhood..."
4. “Somewhere along the way to losing leisure and dismissing summer, this country lost childhood, too.”
My Answers:
1. Juxtaposition
2. Juxtaposition
3. Oxymoron
4. Oxymoron
Your answers for sentences 1 and 2 are incorrect, but your answers for sentences 3 and 4 are correct. Let me explain why:
1. "She liked to be with people, but her lifestyle tore her away from them."
This sentence is an example of paradox, not juxtaposition. Paradox is a situation or statement that appears contradictory but reveals a hidden truth. In this sentence, the contradiction lies in the fact that the person likes being with people, but their lifestyle prevents them from doing so. It emphasizes the conflicting nature of their desires and circumstances.
2. “Today was the day that Whitman students both dreaded and anticipated with glee.”
This sentence is an example of juxtaposition. Juxtaposition is the placement of two contrasting ideas, characters, or settings side by side to highlight their differences or create an effect. In this sentence, the contrasting ideas are "dreaded" and "anticipated with glee," which represent opposing emotions felt by the students.
3. "The marvelously anarchic institution of childhood..."
Your answer is correct. This sentence is an example of oxymoron. Oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms in order to create a specific effect. In this sentence, "marvelously" (which signifies something positive) and "anarchic" (which implies lack of order) are contradictory, creating an oxymoronic phrase.
4. “Somewhere along the way to losing leisure and dismissing summer, this country lost childhood, too.”
Your answer is correct. This sentence is also an example of oxymoron. The contradictory terms in this sentence are "losing leisure and dismissing summer" and "lost childhood." The first part refers to the idea of losing something positive (leisure and summer) while the latter part refers to the loss of something inherently innocent and positive (childhood). This contradiction creates an oxymoronic statement.