Final answer:
An oxymoron is a figure of speech combining opposite or contradictory terms, such as 'bittersweet'. Alliteration, metaphor, and anaphora are different figures of speech that involve repetition of sounds, implied comparisons, and repetition of sentence beginnings, respectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase is called an oxymoron. This literary device juxtaposes elements that appear to be contradictory, but which contain a concealed truth when examined closely. Common examples include 'bittersweet', 'jumbo shrimp', and 'deafening silence'. The other options, such as alliteration, metaphor, and anaphora are different figures of speech. Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in close proximity, such as 'she sells sea shells by the sea shore'. A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison, such as 'time is a thief'. Anaphora is the deliberate repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve an artistic effect, for example, 'Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better.'