Question

Which phrases in this excerpt from Alexander Pope’s "An Essay on Criticism" are oxymorons?Such shameless Bards we have; and yet 'tis true,

There are as mad, abandon'd Criticks too.
The Bookful Blockhead, ignorantly read,
With Loads of Learned Lumber in his Head,
With his own Tongue still edifies his Ears,
And always List'ning to Himself appears.
All Books he reads, and all he reads assails,
From Dryden's Fables down to Durfey's Tales.
With him, most Authors steal their Works, or buy;

Answer 1

The Bookful Blockhead, ignorantly read, /With Loads of Learned Lumber in his Head,

An oxymoron is a phrase of opposites. The phrase Bookful Blockhead is the oxymoron. This is further explained when he is described as being ignorantly read and having "loads of learned lumber". Ignorant means to be unaware or uneducated while learned means to be educated. He is being described being both smart (Bookful) and stupid (Blockhead).

Answer 2

The phrases in this excerpt from Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism that are oxymorons are:

The Bookful Blockhead, ignorantly read,

With Loads of Learned Lumber in his Head

Let's remember that an oxymoron is a noun that refers to a figure of speech in which, apparently, contradictory terms appear in conjunction.

In these lines, the character is described as both, smart and ignorant.