Oxymoronic Verse

Writers of every type have experimented with oxymoronic and paradoxical phrasing, but none more so than poets. Why is this true? One reason, of course, is that poets are deeply and passionately in love with language. And there is no doubt that they experience a special joy that comes from clever and creative wordplay.

Another reason goes a little deeper. Whether employed by scientists, comedians, dramatists—or poets—oxymoronic constructions play around with the difference between literal and figurative truth. This phenomenon of self-contradiction has been very helpful to poets as they've explored the many convolutions, contradictions, and ambiguities of life. Below you will find scores of examples of oxymoronic verse.

Before we get into the verse, however, you might be interested in learning that poets have not only used oxymoronic phrasing in their poetry, they've used it to craft many remarkable observations about their craft. William Shakespeare may have started the ball rolling when he wrote:

Centuries later, modern voices advanced the same idea:

These observations fit nicely under the rubric of oxymoronica, for they all advance the paradoxical notion that false things can be true. Great poetic fabrications, even though they are inventions—and therefore not technically true—can convey some of the deepest and most profound of human truths. Writing in his journal, Jean Cocteau captured this notion in a famous couplet:

The matters I relate Are true lies.

Poets have long been fascinated by the paradoxes of human existence, exploring the contradictions of life in their verse as well as in observations about their craft. The great French man of letters Paul Valéry once observed:

But when it is said well, what an effect! When a poet captures in words some of the mysteries and nuances of life, something magical happens. Without feeling as if we're being taught, we learn. The French poet Paul Claudel captured this phenomenon in a memorable oxymoronic line:

In the 18th century, Oliver Goldsmith wrote a neat little poem about poetry in his volume, The Deserted Village. In one couplet, was able to capture two of the most important truths about poetry. His first point—the paradoxical one—is that poetry can simultaneously be both a source of great pleasure and great pain. His second point-not paradoxical, but true nonetheless—is that poetry is not exactly the best career choice if one wants to get rich.

There are many more examples of oxymoronic verse on the below pages, arranged alphabetically by author. Sometimes you will find a complete poem, but usually it will be a line, a couplet, a quatrain, or a briefer passage from a longer work. The world's great poets are all represented here, as are some talented but lesser-known poets. If you have a favorite piece of oxymoronic verse that is not included—perhaps even one of your own creations—please send it along for possible future inclusion.

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