antithesis literary devices definition
It was the best lesson; it was the worst lesson. You can be the judge when you learn more about 'antithesis' in this lesson, where you'll see the device defined as well as employed in some familiar literary works! For example , the following famous Muhammad Ali quote is an example of antithesis : “ Float like a butterfly , sting like a bee. ” This is an antithesis example because there is the contrast between the animals and their actions ( the peaceful floating butterfly versus the aggressive stinging bee ) combined with the parallel grammatical structure of ... Definition of Antithesis. Antithesis is the use of contrasting concepts, words, or sentences within parallel grammatical structures. This combination of a balanced structure with opposite ideas serves to highlight the contrast between them. If the antithesis is something that the character is thinking, the audience can better understand the full scope of that character’s thoughts. While antithesis is not the most ubiquitous of literary devices, some authors use antithesis quite extensively, such as William Shakespeare. Antithesis is a literary device that uses words that are opposites or noticeably different to highlight contrasting ideas. It has been used since antiquity to emphasize the distinctions between important ideas by using groups of words that vividly differ from one another. The word “prose” comes from the Latin expression prosa oratio, which means straightforward or direct speech. Due to the definition of prose referring to straightforward communication, “prosaic” has come to mean dull and commonplace discourse. When used as a literary term, however, prose does not carry this connotation. 1 Dictionary definition: Prose (n)—the ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse.  Philosophical texts: Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. Definition of Prose. Prose is a communicative style that sounds natural and uses grammatical structure. Prose is the opposite of verse, or poetry, which employs a rhythmic structure that does not mimic ordinary speech. Examples of Antithesis in Literature. Paradise Lost, John Milton's classic of 17th-century English literature is full of profound uses of various literary devices. One of those just happens to be antithesis. Antithesis in Literature: Definition & Examples. Joshua holds a master's degree in Latin and has taught a variety of Classical literature and language courses. Custom Courses are courses that you create from Study.com lessons. Use them just like other courses to track progress, access quizzes and exams, and share content.
A literary device that uses words that are opposites or noticeably different to highlight contrasting ideas.