Irony

Definition of Irony

As a figure of speech, irony refers to a difference between the way something appears and what is actually true. Part of what makes poetry interesting is its indirectness, its refusal to state something simply as "the way it is." Irony allows us to say something but to mean something else, whether we are being sarcastic, exaggerating, or understating. A woman might say to her husband ironically, "I never know what you're going to say," when in fact she always knows what he will say. This is sarcasm, which is one way to achieve irony. Irony is generally more restrained than sarcasm, even though the effect might be the same. The woman of our example above might simply say, "Interesting," when her husband says something that really isn't interesting. She might not be using sarcasm in this case, and she might not even be aware that she is being ironic. A listener who finds the husband dull would probably understand the irony, though. The key to irony is often the tone, which is sometimes harder to detect in poetry than in speech.

Irony Exercise

Irony is easier to communicate in speech than in writing. Consider the following circumstance: A child is playing violin and his aunt says, "He is obviously not ready for the youth orchestra." We don't know whether the aunt is speaking ironically or not; if the child is playing poorly, then the tone is straight. If the child is playing perfectly, then the tone is ironic. Much depends on the way the aunt pronounces "obviously."

Let's assume all of the following statements are meant to be read ironically. You are a poet: You want to communicate irony, but you don't want to overdo it, for heavy-handed irony isn't much fun to read. How much context would you have to add in order to ensure that the tone is ironic but that your touch is light?

Example:

His house was clean and orderly.

One might add:

Just as he had always hoped,

His house was clean and orderly;

No dust settled on pictures

And there was no furniture to clutter the living room.

The refrigerator had no moldering vegetables

And the tub had no trace of her hair

That used to clump and cluster in the drain.

The only thing out of place

Was a piece of paper taped clumsily to the door

In sloppy handwriting: "ALL YOURS."

The cleanliness and orderliness of the man's house may have been what he had always wanted, but he most likely didn't want this solution to the problem of disorder. He is obviously a neat freak, and he wanted his wife or girlfriend to match his meticulous standards; ironically, he got what he said he wanted.

INSTRUCTIONS

Explain the situation(s) that would make the following lines ironic. Write your responses in the text boxes below.

He loved the power of a speeding car.

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Her mother waved enthusiastically from the doorway.

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He closed the door softly behind him.

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