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Literature vocabulary · Literary Devices and Figures of Speech

Antithesis

Meaning in literature, with examples

nounCommon term

In literature, antithesis means: A rhetorical device that places strongly contrasting ideas in a balanced structure to sharpen meaning and emphasis.

In Turkish: karşıtlık

How it is used

Common in speeches, poetry, and prose analysis. It often appears in parallel phrasing, where opposite concepts are paired for force or clarity.

Example sentences

  1. In her essay, the student noted the antithesis between public success and private grief in the novel's final chapter.

    Here antithesis names the deliberate pairing of opposite conditions, which helps the reader see the chapter's emotional tension more clearly.

  2. The editor kept the line because its antithesis, 'order in speech, chaos in action,' captured the politician's image neatly.

    In this example, antithesis works through a balanced contrast inside one phrase, making the criticism compact and memorable.

Common collocations

  • sharp antithesis
  • antithesis between A and B
  • use antithesis
  • rhetorical antithesis
  • ironyA contrast between what is said and what is meant, or between what is expected and what actually happens, often used for humor or criticism.
  • figure of speechA use of words in a non-literal or unusual way to create a special effect or meaning, such as a metaphor, simile, hyperbole or personification.

More terms: Literary Devices and Figures of Speech

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