Click on the speech icon to hear the pronunciation of the word \ˈjək-stə-ˌpōz\
 (VERB)
o to place side by side
o to place (different things) together in order to
create an interesting effect or to show how they
are the same or different
See the word "pose" in juxtapose? When you juxtapose, you are "posing" or
positioning things side by side. The verb juxtapose requires contrasting things placed
next to one other. Juxtapose is used often when referring to contrasting elements in
the arts.
Usage:

The collage juxtaposed pictures of Jane while she was growing up and as an adult.

The music juxtaposed the instrumentation of jazz with the harmonies of soul.

The fauvists juxtaposed strong colors.

To weigh your options, juxtapose the good things with the bad.
Woods’s failure to close out the tournament, juxtaposed with Stanley’s runner-up finish,
provided two snapshots that coalesced into a matrix for men’s golf. –New York Times, 29 Jan. 2012)

DIRECTIONS: Discuss the meaning of the word with your students, with special emphasis on any variations
or nuances of the word specific to your discipline. Consider taking it a step further by using one or all of the
following ideas as you involve students with the new vocabulary. Remember to preview all content you
intend to share with students. Not all items on the lists provided below are appropriate for all
classes or age levels.
#1
Before telling students the definition of the word, read the following sentence from the
New York Times (17 July 2013) to your students as they look at it on the screen. After seeing and hearing
the word used in a sentence, have students work in pairs or groups of three to create a possible definition
for the word juxtapose. Compare answers and see which is closest to the actual definition. Consider then
having students discuss the context of this sentence: why would they be gawking at one another? What
are visible differences they may be seeing? What does this sentence tell us about Indian society?
“And once again, the elites and the masses are traveling together, the otherwise
unbridgeable classes juxtaposed, often gawking at each other.”
(“Letter from India: Delhi Metro Reaches across Class Lines”)
#2 Have students read this article from Inc. (“Can Your Business Use Some Makeover Magic” 27 Jan.
2012) about adding value and uniqueness to your venture, brand, or product. The concept of
juxtaposition is addressed in the third paragraph.
http://www.inc.com/brett-lovelady/want-to-stand-out-apply-a-little-creativemagic.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+inc%2Fheadlines+%28Inc.com+He
adlines%29
#3
Have students read this article from BBC News, 30 April 2013 about a big controversy in Sri
Lanka over a sudden and very large jump in domestic electricity prices and its impact on society,
especially the poor. Juxtaposition is addressed in the last section:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22361838
#4 Discuss the difference in human and animal anatomy with your students, focusing on the
superimposing of leg muscles in humans vs. the juxtaposing of those same muscles in some
animals (from The Pawns Count by Edward Phillips Oppenheim).
http://books.google.com/books?id=PuAFKdhiNoC&pg=PT380&lpg=PT380&dq=In+other+words,+they+are+not+superposed,+as+in+the+human+species,+but+juxtapose
d&source=bl&ots=pG8p9gxuDM&sig=iEaXuBMP0_LF5OxWETeKCiqkwVc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2stzUrfqFY_KsQSR64HABA&v
ed=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=In%20other%20words%2C%20they%20are%20not%20superposed%2C%20as%20in%
20the%20human%20species%2C%20but%20juxtaposed&f=false
#5 Consider having students make a vocabulary chart like this one to document and expand their
thinking about the word juxtapose.
#6 Show students one or more of the following images and discuss the effect of the juxtaposition of
images: similarity, contrast, interest, irony, etc. What is the comparison?
#6 Show students one or more of these images taken just after the earthquake and tsunami struck
Japan in 2011 juxtaposed with scenes almost one year later.