What is irony? The Bedford Introduction to Literature defines irony as "a literary device that uses contradictory statements or situations to reveal a reality different that what appears to be true." In short irony involves a conflict of some sort between two things. In modern literary studies, there are at least five types of irony, but this paper will only concern four types and some select poems that utilize them.
The first type of irony and probably most widely used is situational irony. This occurs when there is a difference between what is expected to happen and what actually happens. One of the countless literary works to use this form of irony is a poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson called "Richard Cory". In it the speaker describes Mr. Cory as a slim, handsome, neatly dressed, educated man who happens to be very rich. He seems to have it all and the speaker is totally charmed by his good fortune. However, the final line of the poem changes all of that. "And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, Went home and put a bullet through his head." This reveals that contrary to outside appearance, Mr. Cory was not at all a happy man. The irony exists in that we, as readers, expect to hear nothing but fine things about this man, and instead he takes his own life. .
A second type of irony used quite a bit and also experienced numerous times throughout our everyday life, is what is known as verbal irony. Verbal irony occurs when a person says one thing but actually means the opposite. One such poem to utilize this type of irony is "AD" by Kenneth Fearing. It is set up like a newspaper advertisement rather than conventional poetry. This "ad" expresses the need for men, no matter the physical or mental condition, the requirements are practically nothing and the wage of pay is death. This really is an anti-war poem aimed to protest against the cruel acts of war and the many victims it takes. It seeks to achieve this by not saying what it means to say in hopes of getting readers to turn away from any aspect of war.
Irony There are many different types of literary techniques, but few have had as great affect to literature as irony. ... There are numerous types of irony; the three most common are verbal irony, dramatic irony, and situational or structural irony. ... One type of irony is verbal irony. ... The next type of irony is dramatic irony. ... The last main type of irony is situational or structural irony. ...
Yet one similarity exists between writers, and that is the frequent usage of irony in his stories. So what is irony? ... Chopin mainly uses assumption to build irony. ... Madame Valmonde's assumption builds irony in the first place. ... Besides assumptions, Kate used names of characters as an element of irony. ...
Essay Assignment 1: Irony Irony has played a big role in the play "Othello". Irony has made the plot interesting and amusing. There are two types of irony, verbal and dramatic. Verbal irony is irony that is being spoken and everyone hears it. Dramatic irony is irony that the audience knows about, but the characters do not. ...
Shakespeare's plays rely largely on irony. ... There are three kinds of irony presented in this play. ... Irony plays an important role in Othello. ... This essay will analyze the aspects of irony in Othello. There are many examples of situational irony in this play. ...
Irony for Thought What is irony? ... In short irony involves a conflict of some sort between two things. ... The first type of irony and probably most widely used is situational irony. ... A second type of irony used quite a bit and also experienced numerous times throughout our everyday life, is what is known as verbal irony. ... Another type of irony mostly found in plays or movies is dramatic irony. ...
He uses irony in many ways to work his way up to his surprise ending. Three different kinds of irony to be specific, verbal, situational, and dramatic irony. ... One instance of situational irony is the clouds. ... Another example of situational irony is the cat. ... Another kind of irony used is dramatic irony. ...
The Irony of Necessity According to Maslow, human beings have a hierarchy of needs. ... Yet, not very often do our social elitists talk about the human need for irony. ... The poems "Richard Cory", by Edwin Arlington Robinson, and "The Necessity for Irony", Eavan Boland are prime examples of the human need for irony. ... "Necessity for Irony" is written in a very free form. ... Yet Boland is still able to catch the essence of the search for life's ironies. ...
Irony and Corruption Irony: the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning. The ultimate expression of irony is shown in the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, in his book titled The Canterbury Tales. ... Another example of irony is in the description of a character called the Monk. ... A final example of this redundant irony in Chaucer's characters is shown in the description of the Friar. ... So Chaucer uses irony frequently to show the corruption of these characters in this book. ...
Throughout Othello, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to make the play a richer experience. The most essential part of dramatic irony in the story is Iago. ... Dramatic irony is used again in Othello, when Desdemona goes and kneels before Iago and asks for his help. ... Throughout Othello, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to make the play a more richer experience. Thus the ironies Shakespeare's uses definitely make Othello a great tragedy. ...
