Sound and Sense, 87

We’re moving next to the homophone: a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not, as heir and air. So … contronyms are words that have contradictory meanings (sanctiion = approve and disapprove; homophones sound alike but to not mean the same—and often are not spelled the same, either.

1. groan (verb):  to make a deep sound because of pain or some strong emotion (noun): the deep sound one emits because of pain or some strong emotion

2. grown (adjective): no longer a child; (verb): past-participle of grow

From in the hall she heard his groan—

He’d wakened with such naïve hope:

He’d thought that night he would have grown.

But now his mirror’s told him, “Nope!”

It’s hard to tell your lovely son

That growing is not fast but slow—

He’s just so full of hope, that one,

But one day (soon?) of course he’ll know.

Some lessons that we learn are hard—

And growing is just one of these.

Our hopes are painful to discard,

And kids take effort to appease.