We live to die, we die to live is an example of _________

Analyze the question: We are asked to name the figure of speech in "We live to die, we die to live."

Explain the concept:

• Paradox: a statement that seems self-contradictory or absurd on the surface but contains a deeper truth.
• Hyperbole: deliberate exaggeration for effect (e.g., "I've told you a million times").
• Inversion: reversing the normal word order in a sentence (e.g., "Strong is the force").
• Oxymoron: two contradictory words placed side by side in a short phrase (e.g., "deafening silence," "living death").

Solution:

1. The statement is a full sentence, not a two-word phrase. That rules out oxymoron, which works at the level of adjacent words.
2. It has no exaggeration, so it is not hyperbole.
3. The word order is normal (subject, verb, infinitive), so it is not inversion.
4. On the surface, "we live to die" and "we die to live" seem contradictory. Yet there is a deeper truth: life leads inevitably to death, and in the spiritual or philosophical view, death leads to a new life (or the sacrifice of the old self gives rise to new life). A seemingly contradictory statement that reveals a truth is a paradox.

Note that the line also has a chiastic (reversed) structure, but chiasmus is not among the options. Of the choices given, paradox fits best.

Answer: A. paradox

Exam tip: Remember the difference by size. An oxymoron is small, a two-word clash ("bitter-sweet"). A paradox is bigger, a whole statement that seems contradictory but is true on reflection. When you see a full sentence that appears to contradict itself, think paradox.