This figure of contrast stands close to oxymoron. The major differ' ence between them is structural: oxymoron is realized through a single

_word-combination, while antithesis is a confrontation of at least two sep­arate phrases semantically opposite. Compare:

"wise foolishness" is an oxymoron;

"... the age of wisdom, the age of foolishness" is an antithesis. Assigned features. Syntactic structures expressing the meaning of an­tithesis are quite various: a simple extended sentence, a composite sentence, a paragraph or even chain of paragraphs. The main lexical means of antithe­sis formation is antonyms (words opposite in meaning): danger - security, Hf_e _ death, empty -occupied, to hurry - to go slow. However, the use of antonyms is not strictly obligatory. Antithesis may also be formed through situational confrontation of two notions expressed by non-antonymous words. For example:

Isabel's salary was high; Isabel's work was light. More examples:

It was the season of light, it was the season of darkness.

1 had walked into that reading-room a happy, healthy man. I crawled

out a decrepit wreck.

Gilbert wears fine clothes while I go in rags.

While I am weak from hung er. Denis suffers from overeating.

А далі пішли інші дні, зі своїми клопотами, турбаціями, зі своїми

тінями й просвітками, зі ширим словом і дрібнотою доносів на

тому ж папері, в який можна вписати незрівнянний образ і жало

гадюки.

Янгольський голосок, та чортова думка.

Слова одні нам тішать слух і зір. А інші нас відштовхують раптово.

CLIMAX (GRADATION)

This figure of inequality consists in arranging the utterance so that each subsequent component of it increases significance, importance or emotional tension of narration:

There was the boom, then instantly the shriek and burst.

I am sorry. I am so very sorry, I am so extremely sorry.

Важливий - вирішальний - грандіозний.

карний - чудовий - пречудовий - незрівнянний - божественний.

Кмітливий - розумний - мудрий.

Механізм справді був простий, зручний, корисний.

 

Classification. Gradation which increases emotional tension of the ut- ] terance may be called emotional. Emotional gradation is created by syn­onymic words with emotive meanings:

nice - lovely - beautiful - fair - magnificent; surprised - astonished

- astounded - struck - petrified - killed (figuratively).

На серці в Гната ставало так погано, прикро, болісно.

Не тільки тужна пісня лилася із змученої душі матері, а и

пропікали сльози гарячі сліди на її обличчі.

Сонце пече, аж в'ялить.

Пилип так зажурився, аж скис. Gradation revealing the quantity of objects may be called quantitative:

There were hundreds of houses, thousands of stairs, innumerably

kitchens.

Око бачить далеко, а розум ще далі.

Минають дні, роки, і вже століття засвідчують реалії буття.