The Jack & Jill of Juxtaposition = J: Blogging from A to Z

And then there were 16. 

Welcome to Day J of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

Continuing with my theme of literary devices, today we are talking about juxtaposition. 

Source

Juxtaposition

(source)

Juxtaposition refers to the use of dissimilar terms, concepts, or images in order to contrast their varying (or opposite) attributes. This may be used for ironic effect, to create surprise or humor, or to stimulate the imagination.

Juxtaposition is often used for comparison and contrast, rhetorical effect, suspense, and character development. For characters, it's often the yen and yang of personalities.

For example:

Consider The Prince and the Pauper. The author took two young men from very different worlds, who happened to look just alike, and had them change positions--a prince to a pauper and vice versa. By placing each of them in the other's life, the author was able to compare and contrast how they saw the world. Through this literary device, the reader was privy to a deeper understanding of both characters.

For moms of girls, a newer example would be Barbie's The Princess and the Pauper. *winks*

Another example is the picture featured above. The advertisement for God right along an ad to "Stop Sleeping Around." In Kentucky, where I went to college, you could often find billboard ads for strip clubs near ads for a church or Right to Life billboard. Even though I've seen such a scenario many times, it always gives me pause.

By placing two seemingly different items together, it not only points out their differences but strengthens what each stands for--good or bad.

What's your favorite example of juxtaposition?

As a mom, I see my daughters as a day-to-day example of juxtaposition. They are each a combination of the same two parents' DNA, and they are being brought up with similar values and financial security, yet they are all so different. Their personalities glow, mainly as compared to each other.

And, as the title of this post implies, the nursery rhyme Jack & Jill shows how each handles going down the hill.

Jack and Jill went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water.

Jack fell down and broke his crown,

And Jill came tumbling after.

Onomatopoeia = O: Blogging from A to Z

I am a word nerd; I say it loud and proud. Words have the amazing ability, when strung together properly, to inspire and ignite. The fact that we've made up new words throughout the years to represent sounds and feelings is inspiring (unless that new word is irregardless, but that's another subject!).

Onomatopoeia: [on-uh-mat-uh-pee-uh, ‐mah-tuh‐]  1. the formation of a word, as cuckoo, meow, honk, or boom, by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent. 2. a word so formed. 3. the use of imitative and naturally suggestive words for rhetorical, dramatic, or poetic effect.

There's the obvious buzz, wham, tick tock and then there's the pure joy I get from even saying the word. Onomatopoeia rolls off the tongue like Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and simply makes me happy. Someone really should honor the word with a song (don't worry, it won't be me) and the melody it inspires.

It already brings to life so many of our favorite nursery rhymes like Baa Baa Black Sheep and Old MacDonald. What Mom has not spent countless hours perfecting her perfect woof, moo, meow, and quack? And to honor O, there's ouch, ow, and oink.

Now that my children are getting older and approaching the teenage years at a rate I cannot control or slow, I have new appreciation for onomatopoeia. Words like mumble, huff, huh, hiss, growl, chatter, screech, sniff, ugh, whisper, and so on.

What's your favorite example of onomatopoeia?

*****

O down, eleven more to go P to Z.
Thanks for joining me!

Find some other great O bloggers here.