Three types of irony demonstrate its extensive use in literature: verbal, situational, and dramatic irony. Each type is used for a literary effect such as humor or to give readers the pleasure of discovery. Verbal Irony Writers and speakers use verbal irony to mean the opposite of what is ac...
Definition of Irony Introduction to Irony Types of Irony Dramatic/Tragic Irony (otherwise Shakespearean Irony) Irony in Literature (literary, socratic) The Ironic Universe, Cosmic Irony and Sod's Law (How most people think of irony) Romantic metafiction and Modern Irony Sarcasm (Sarcasm & Irony, ...
Besides the three main types of irony described above, two other literary devices—sarcasm and satire—share a lot in common with irony: Sarcasm is a bitter, cutting, or mocking taunt used to denigrate a particular person, place, or thing. It can sometimes take the form of verbal irony. ...
Literary Terms Irony, Tragic:The term applied to the situation, in Greek and other drama, in which the audience is aware of some impending catastrophe or important fact of which the characters are either totally ignorant or not fully aware, a condition rendered possible by the fact that Greek...
Ray, The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms. Boston: Bedford, 1997. Irony: A contradiction or incongruity between appearance or expectation and reality. This disparity may be manifested in a variety of ways. A discrepancy may exist between what someone says and what he or she ...
Irony is typically difficult to clearly explain, especially as a literary device, since part of the point of its use is to be unclear. According to the famous definition of irony given by Henry Watson Fowler in “The King’s English,” irony occurs when “...the surface meaning and the ...
Literary Irony Authors use irony to add interest to their work. Audiences who are more informed than the characters are more invested in seeing the outcome; likewise, readers who can see the irony in dialogue will more likely be able to make deeper connections. Irony also allows the author to...
Irony definition: the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning. See examples of IRONY used in a sentence.
3. In Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, Mr. Darcy says of Elizabeth Bennett that she is not "handsome enough to tempt me," but he falls in love with her in spite of himself. (verbal irony) Related Links: Examples Grammar Examples Verbal Irony Examples Literary Terms Examples for Kid...
In a literary work, however, the audience generally has enough information to understand when a character is using verbal irony. Verbal irony can never be accidental. It depends on the speaker's intent. If the speaker doesn't mean to be irony, then they aren't using verbal irony. Verba...