Juxtaposition is when writers place two elements next to each other, to either link or contrast.
Good or bad? Sunny or dark? Outdoors or indoors? Hero or villain? Literature is packed with juxtapositions. This type of juxtaposition is the placing of two elements side by side to create a contrast. You can do very well in literary analysis by commenting on contrast compositions. Poetry and stories are full of them! The writer might juxtapose a confident character with a shy one. In settings, they might juxtapose an unpleasant hot stuffy classroom with a fresh and temptingly open football field. Most of the time, juxtapositions work in literature to create thought-provoking or dramatic contrasts in language, characters, settings or even actions.
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