An oxymoron places opposite words together: “deafening silence”, “bittersweet farewell”. It captures a complicated or contradictory feeling.
Sibilance is the repetition of soft s and sh sounds: “Soft sand slipped slowly through her fingers.” It can create a calm, whispering effect or a sinister, hissing one.
Pathetic fallacy is when weather or nature reflects a character's mood: “As Ana read the terrible news, rain wept against the window.” Metaphor and personification often create it.
Worked example
What is the effect of “The room fell into a deafening silence”?
- Deafening and silence are opposites: an oxymoron.
- It shows the silence felt overwhelming.
Answer:The oxymoron suggests a silence so tense it feels loud.
Key words
- oxymoron
- two opposite words placed together
- sibilance
- repeated s and sh sounds
- pathetic fallacy
- weather or nature reflecting mood
Practise this
New questions every time.
Common Core-referenced: L.7.5a