JAMB - Literature In English (2021 - No. 11)

This question is based on General Literary Principles.

When two statements or comparisons are apparently contradictory, we have an example of 

irony
paradox
contrast
parallelism

Explanation

A paradox is a figure of speech or rhetorical device in which two seemingly contradictory statements or ideas are presented together, but on closer inspection, they reveal a deeper truth or make a powerful point.

Example:

  • "The more you know, the more you realize you don't know."

  • "Freedom is slavery." — from George Orwell's 1984

These examples appear contradictory at first but contain an underlying truth upon reflection.

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