A paradox is a statement that appears self-contradictory or illogical but may reveal a deeper truth upon reflection. In the lines from The City of Dreams by Robert Buchanan:

"I die, yet depart not,"

"I am bound, yet soar free;"

"Thou art and thou art not,"

Each statement presents a contradiction. The speaker claims to simultaneously experience opposing states—dying but not departing, being bound yet free, and existing while not existing. These contradictions challenge conventional logic, making the passage a clear example of a paradox.