Oxymoron is a form of paradox. However, unlike paradox, oxymoron places opposing words side by side. Parting is such sweet sorrow . Working in a coal mine is living death . The hurricane turned the lush island retreat into a hellish paradise .
Paradox is similar to oxymoron in that both figures of speech use contradictions to state a truth.
However, paradox does not place opposing words side by side, as oxymoron does. They called him a lion. But in the boxing ring, the lion was a lamb . For slaves, life was death , and death was life . Personification is a form of metaphor.