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Motifs
Definition of Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal a deeper or hidden truth... read full definition
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal... read full definition
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to... read full definition
Act 1
Explanation and Analysis—Prometheus's Burden:
In the following passage, taken from Prometheus's initial monologue in Act 1, the imprisoned Titan describes the pain he must undergo on a daily basis as a result of Jupiter's punishment. Shelley uses personification at many points throughout this monologue, employing the literary device to emphasize the more dramatic aspects of Prometheus's imprisonment. This technique comes to the fore when Prometheus describes the chains binding him:
The crawling glaciers pierce me with the spears
Of their moon-freezing crystals, the bright chains
Eat with their burning cold into my bones.
These chains have a humanlike agency to them; they “eat” away at Prometheus with their coldness. This figurative language helps the reader imagine Prometheus’s pain and discomfort, with the cold of the chains being so vicious that it may even degrade his flesh (i.e., frostbite) down to the bone. Indeed, the cold of these chains is so harsh and painful that it very nearly burns Prometheus, causing him to describe his feelings using the oxymoronic phrase "burning cold."
Prometheus's description of his bindings edges on magical. While it is true that something can be so cold it "burns" the skin of anyone who holds it, it may also be true—in this story of myth and fantasy—that the chains are enchanted by some magic to keep Prometheus ensnared. If the latter is the case, both oxymoron ("burning cold") and personification contribute to the perception of Prometheus's chains as a magical object.
