Francis Bacon, (1561-1626) is the most influential and resourceful English writer of his time. He very expertly uses different types of literary devices like paradox, aphorism, climax in his essays. He usually uses the condensed sentences with deep hidden explanations. We also find a touch of reality and practicality in his writings. Now we are going to discuss his views. Bacon very skilfully exploits the literary device ‘paradox’ in the essay “ Of Truth” . Truth, according to Bacon, lacks the charm of variety which, falsehood has. Truth gives more pleasure only when a lie is added to it. He believes that, falsehood is a source of temporary enjoyment as it gives the people a strange kind of pleasure. So the essayist paradoxically says: “ …a mixture of a lie doth ever add pleasure” We find another paradoxical maxim in the same essay . To Bacon, a liar is brave towards god but cowardly towards men. A liar does not have courage to tell the truth to the people but he sho
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