![]() One of the most famous examples of literary dramatic irony is in O. ![]() If verbal irony sounds like it’s pretty familiar, it’s because sarcasm is actually a form of verbal irony (more on that later.) Dramatic ironyĪ favorite in many famous movies and books, dramatic irony is a literary device where the reader or spectator knows critical information but the characters don’t. Your partner asks you how it went and you say, “Aced it, best interview of my life” –– that’s an ironic overstatement. Say you go for a job interview, but it’s a trainwreck because you spill coffee on your brand-new suit, are 20 minutes late, and forget the interviewer’s name. Statements like these are figurative language and are the opposite of their literal meaning. Of course, having a brain tumor is a serious health issue, which Holden downplays in this excerpt.Īlternatively, an ironic overstatement makes something insignificant sound like a bigger deal than it is to highlight how minor it is. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain.” Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the character Holden Caulfield says, “I have to have this operation. For instance, it’s common knowledge that concrete is hard, and mud is opaque.Īs you might imagine, an ironic understatement creates contrast by undermining the impact of something, despite the subject itself being quite severe. Verbal irony works best as a literary technique when the reader already knows the initial concepts. Let’s take a closer look at Morissette’s timeless song lyrics: Irony is often used as a synonym for a caustic remark, something that’s interesting, or sarcastic.Įven singer Alanis Morissette got the definition wrong in her hit 1995 single “Ironic.” In fact, the criticism of her song was so strong, she had to clarify that she wasn’t technically trying to say that every line of the song was ironic. When pinpointing the definition of irony, it can be helpful to look at when situations are incorrectly labeled as ironic. Since irony describes an outcome that contrasts with the originally expected results, you’ll see that writers generally use irony to build tension, create humor, or as a plot twist. Eiron, a Greek comic, was an intelligent underdog who used his wit to triumph over the egotistical character Alazon. The word irony comes from the Latin ironia, meaning “feigned ignorance,” and previously from the Greek eironeia. Looking at irony’s origins can help with understanding how to best use the word. ![]() These are both examples of irony –– verbal irony, to be precise –– the most frequently used type of irony (more on that later.) Where does the word irony come from? For example, if it were a cold, rainy gray day, you might say, “What a beautiful day!” Or, alternatively, if you were suffering from a bad bout of food poisoning, you might say, “Wow, I feel great today.” In an ironic phrase, one thing is said, while another thing is meant. The remark “how ironic” indicates a meaning that’s the opposite of its precise meaning. The use of irony shows the contrast or incongruity between how things appear and how they are in reality. So if coincidences, bad luck, and unusual situations aren’t, what is ironic ? Let’s track down the misused word and uncover what situations it pertains to. Irony has become synonymous with coincidence, bad luck, and pleasant surprises. Irony is one of the English language’s most misused and abused words. ![]() In fact, you probably hear “isn’t it ironic?” all the time. “That’s so ironic!” We’ve all probably uttered these words at some point.
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