Different Forms Of Irony In Literature

Evident in works of literature ranging from shakespeare to comic books irony comes in many different forms.

Different forms of irony in literature.

Dramatic irony occurs when there is an apparent contrast between what a character believes to be true and what you as the reader or audience member knows to be true. The effectiveness of irony as a literary device depends on the reader s expectations and understanding of the disparity between what should. When you say the opposite of what you mean you are using verbal irony. Verbal irony is the form that probably reminds you most of sarcasm.

There are actually more than three types. Students create a storyboard about something ironic in their own life. Whoever could find out a fair cheap and easy method of making these children sound useful members of the commonwealth would deserve so well of the public as to have his statue set up for a. There are many forms of irony featured in literature.

Irony is a literary device that pits appearance or understanding against reality. Irony is a literary device in which contradictory statements or situations reveal a reality that is different from what appears to be true. They are verbal situational and dramatic. There are three main types of irony that frequently appear in literature and art.

Imagine moving a bunch of heavy boxes out of your dorm. Johnathan swift s a modest proposal is a classic example of verbal irony he begins seemingly in earnest discussing the sad state of destitute children. Students create storyboards that show and explain each type of irony as found in the work of literature. Although many of us learn about irony in our high school english classes through works of theater like shakespeare s romeo and juliet or sophocles s oedipus rex many people feel unsure of what irony means or how to use it correctly.

Irony can be categorized into different types including verbal irony dramatic irony and. Such irony is often meant as a form of criticism. For example when discussing an upcoming dentist appointment you might say in an overly excited voice i can t wait this is one type of irony we ll get to the types soon and shows that irony is deeply ingrained into the way we communicate. Irony is often employed to point out a central idea or to cause the reader or audience to think more deeply about what.

Using specific quotes from the text which highlight the irony. Verbal irony in a modest proposal. Verbal irony is a statement in which the meaning is different than the meaning the words seem to express. Verbal irony in literature might appear as statements made by individual characters or in statements made by the narrator of the story.

Many people use sarcasm in their everyday interactions which is one form of verbal irony. Irony is commonly found in literature poetry and plays though it can appear in any form of writing or entertainment. Irony from ancient greek εἰρωνεία eirōneía meaning dissimulation feigned ignorance in its broadest sense is a rhetorical device literary technique or event in which what on the surface appears to be the case or to be expected differs radically from what is actually the case.