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"Ironic" redirects here. For the Alanis Morissette song, see Ironic (song). " Ironic " is a song written by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard and produced by Ballard for Morissette's third album Jagged Little Pill

Irony is a literary or rhetorical device, in which there is an incongruity or discordance between what a speaker or writer says and what he or she means, or what is generally understood. A literary technique or literary device is an identifiable Rule of thumb, convention or Structure that is employed in Literature In Rhetoric, a rhetorical device or resource of language is a technique that an author or speaker uses to evoke an Emotional response in the audience (the

In modern usage it can also refer to particularly striking examples of incongruities observed in everyday life between what was intended or said and what actually happened.

There is some argument about what is or is not ironic, but all the different senses of irony revolve around the perceived notion of an incongruity between what is said and what is meant; or between an understanding of reality, or an expectation of a reality, and what actually happens.

Irony can be funny, but it does not have to be.

The term Socratic irony, which was coined by Aristotle, refers to the Socratic Method. The Socratic Method (or Method of Elenchus or Socratic Debate) named after the Classical Greek philosopher Socrates, is a form of It is not irony in the modern sense of the word[1].

A "no smoking" notice adorns the Sherlock Holmes tiles in Baker Street tube station, a prime example of situational irony.
A "no smoking" notice adorns the Sherlock Holmes tiles in Baker Street tube station, a prime example of situational irony. Smoking bans are public policies including Criminal laws and Occupational safety and health Regulations which prohibit Tobacco smoking Sherlock Holmes is a famous fictional detective of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who first appeared in Publication in 1887 Baker Street tube station is a station on the London Underground located at the junction of Baker Street and the Marylebone Road.

Contents

Types of irony

Most modern theories of rhetoric distinguish between three types of irony: verbal, dramatic and situational.

Verbal irony, including sarcasm

Verbal irony is distinguished from situational irony and dramatic irony in that it is produced intentionally by speakers. For instance, if a speaker exclaims, “I’m not upset!” but reveals an upset emotional state through her voice while truly trying to claim she's not upset, it would not be verbal irony just by virtue of its verbal manifestation (it would, however, be situational irony). An emotion is a mental and physiological state associated with a wide variety of feelings thoughts and behaviours Virtue ( Latin virtus; Greek) is moral Excellence. Personal virtues are characteristics valued as promoting individual But if the same speaker said the same words and intended to communicate that she was upset by claiming she was not, the utterance would be verbal irony. This distinction gets at an important aspect of verbal irony: speakers communicate implied propositions that are intentionally contradictory to the propositions contained in the words themselves. There are examples of verbal irony that do not rely on saying the opposite of what one means, and there are cases where all the traditional criteria of irony exist and the utterance is not ironic.

Ironic similes are a form of verbal irony where a speaker does intend to communicate the opposite of what they mean. SIMILE is a research project focused on developing tools to increase the interoperability of disparate digital collections For instance, the following explicit similes have the form of a statement that means P(X) but which conveys the meaning not P:

The irony is recognizable in each case only by using stereotypical knowledge of the source concepts (e. A stereotype (from Greek: stereo + týpos = "solid impression" is a generalized perception of first impressions behaviors presumed by a group g. , mud, root-canals) to detect an incongruity.

A fair amount of confusion has surrounded the issue regarding the relationship between verbal irony and sarcasm, and psychology researchers have addressed the issue directly (e. Sarcasm is stating the opposite of an intended meaning especially in order to sneeringly slyly jest or mock a person situation or thing g, Lee & Katz, 1998). For example, ridicule is an important aspect of sarcasm, but not verbal irony in general. By this account, sarcasm is a particular kind of personal criticism leveled against a person or group of persons that incorporates verbal irony. For example, a person reports to her friend that rather than going to a medical doctor to treat her ovarian cancer, she has decided to see a spiritual healer instead. In response her friend says sarcastically, "Great idea! I hear they do fine work!" The friend could have also replied with any number of ironic expressions that should not be labeled as sarcasm exactly, but still have many shared elements with sarcasm.

Research shows that most instances of verbal irony are considered to be sarcastic, suggesting that the term sarcasm is more widely used than its technical definition suggests it should be (Bryant & Fox Tree, 2002; Gibbs, 2000). Some psycholinguistic theorists suggest that sarcasm ("Great idea!", "I hear they do fine work. Psycholinguistics or psychology of language is the study of the psychological and neurobiological factors that enable Humans to acquire use "), hyperbole ("That's the best idea I have heard in years!"), understatement ("Sure, what the hell, it's only cancer. . . "), rhetorical questions ("What, does your spirit have cancer?"), double entendre ("I'll bet if you do that, you'll be communing with spirits in no time. . . ") and jocularity ("Get them to fix your bad back while you're at it. ") should all be considered forms of verbal irony (Gibbs, 2000). The differences between these tropes can be quite subtle, and relate to typical emotional reactions of listeners, and the rhetorical goals of the speakers. Regardless of the various ways folk taxonomies categorize figurative language types, people in conversation are attempting to decode speaker intentions and discourse goals, and are not generally identifying, by name, the kinds of tropes used.

Tragic irony

Tragic irony can only take place in a fictional context. In this form of irony, the words and actions of the characters belie the real situation, which the spectators fully realize.

Tragic irony particularly characterized the drama of ancient Greece, owing to the familiarity of the spectators with the legends on which so many of the plays were based. The theatre of ancient Greece, or ancient Greek drama, is a theatrical Culture that flourished in ancient Greece between c The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca A legend ( Latin, legenda, "things to be read" is a Narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to Sophocles' Oedipus the King provides a classic example of tragic irony at its fullest and finest. Sophocles (ˈsɒfəkliːz Ancient Greek, sopʰoklɛ̂ːs circa Oedipus the King ( Ancient Greek: tyrannos Modern Greek: ( "Oedipus the Tyrant" also known as Oedipus Rex, is a

Irony threatens authoritative models of discourse by "removing the semantic security of ‘one signifier : one signified’";[2] irony has some of its foundation in the onlooker’s perception of paradox which arises from insoluble problems. In Semiotics, a sign is "something that stands for something else to someone in some capacity" In Semiotics, a sign is "something that stands for something else to someone in some capacity" A paradox is a true statement or group of statements that leads to a Contradiction or a situation which defies intuition; or inversely

For example:

Dramatic irony

In drama, the device of giving the spectator an item of information that at least one of the characters in the narrative is unaware of (at least consciously), thus of placing the spectator a step ahead of at least one of the characters. Dramatic irony involves three stages: installation, exploitation and resolution.

For example:

Situational irony

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a story whose plot revolves around irony. Dorothy travels to a wizard and fulfills his challenging demands to go home, before discovering she had the ability to go back home all the time. The Scarecrow longs for intelligence, only to discover he is already a genius, and the Tin Woodsman longs to be capable of love, only to discover he already has a heart. The Lion, who at first appears to be a whimpering coward turns out to be bold and fearless, The people in Emerald City believe the Wizard to be a powerful deity, only to discover he is a bumbling eccentric old man. Oz Portal
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a story whose plot revolves around irony. Dorothy travels to a wizard and fulfills his challenging demands to go home, before discovering she had the ability to go back home all the time. The Scarecrow longs for intelligence, only to discover he is already a genius, and the Tin Woodsman longs to be capable of love, only to discover he already has a heart. Intelligence (also called intellect) is an Umbrella term used to describe a property of the Mind that encompasses many related abilities such as the capacities A genius is a person of great Intelligence or remarkable abilities in a specific subject who shows an exceptional natural capacity of intellect and/or ability especially The Tin Woodman (also known as the Tin Man or the Tin Woodsman, the latter appearing only in adaptations the former used only occasionally by Baum is a character Love is any of a number of Emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong Affection. The Lion, who at first appears to be a whimpering coward turns out to be bold and fearless, The people in Emerald City believe the Wizard to be a powerful deity, only to discover he is a bumbling eccentric old man. Coward redirects here For other meanings including as a surname see Coward (disambiguation. The Emerald City is the fictional capital city of the Land of Oz in L See also List of deities A deity is a Postulated Preternatural or Supernatural Being, who is always

Definition: irony of a situation is a discrepancy between the expected result and actual results when enlivened by 'perverse appropriateness'. This is a relatively modern use of the term -- see "Usage Controversy", below.


For example:

Irony of fate (cosmic irony)

The expression “irony of fate” stems from the notion that the gods (or the Fates) are amusing themselves by toying with the minds of mortals, with deliberate ironic intent. Closely connected with situational irony, it arises from sharp contrasts between reality and human ideals, or between human intentions and actual results.

For example:

Historical irony (cosmic irony through time)

When history is seen through modern eyes, it sometimes happens that there is an especially sharp contrast between the way historical figures see their world and the probable future of their world, and what actually transpired. What we now refer to as "World War I" was originally called "The War to End All Wars"; this is an example of historical irony. Historical irony is therefore a subset of cosmic irony, but one in which the element of time is bound up.

For example:

Examples of irony in history:

Irony in use

Ironic art

One point of view has it that all modern art is ironic because the viewer cannot help but compare it to previous works. For example, any portrait of a standing, non-smiling woman will naturally be compared with the Mona Lisa; the tension of meaning exists, whether the artist meant it or not.

While this does not appear to exactly conform to any of the three types of irony above, there is some evidence that the term "ironic art" is being used in this context [6]. This definition could extend to any sort of modern artistic endeavour: graphic design; or music (sampling, for example). The term graphic design can refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation In Music, sampling is the act of taking a portion or sample, of one Sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or element of a new recording

Comic irony

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice begins with the proposition “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. Pride and Prejudice, first published on 28 January 1813, is the most famous of Jane Austen 's novels and one of the first " romantic ” In fact, it soon becomes clear that Austen means the opposite: women (or their mothers) are always in search of, and desperately on the lookout for, a rich single man to make a husband. The irony deepens as the story promotes his romance and ends in a double wedding.

Comic irony from television sketch-comedy has the distinction over literary comic irony in that it often incorporates elements of absurdity. A classic example is where a shark trying to impress his shark friends by learning to surf. He then surfs so well that his friends mistake him for an actual surfer and eat him. [7]

Comic irony has long been a staple of comic strips, in which the action is free to be unrealistic. An example is a notable Far Side cartoon in which a hapless cat is trapped against an inside house window, having to watch the once-in-a-lifetime consequences of a collision outside between a truck labeled "Al's Rodents" and another labeled "Ernie's Small Flightless Birds". The Far Side is a popular one-panel syndicated comic created by Gary Larson.

Metafiction

Main article: Metafiction

Metafictions are kinds of fiction which self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction. Metafiction is a literary term for a type of Fiction that systematically and self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction including the relationship between fiction and It usually involves irony and is self-reflective. Metafiction (or “romantic irony” in the sense of roman the prose fiction) refers to the effect when a story is interrupted to remind the audience or reader that it is really only a story. Examples include Henry Fielding’s interruptions of the storyline to comment on what has happened, or J.M. Barrie’s similar interjections in his book, Peter Pan. Henry Fielding ( April 22, 1707 &ndash October 8, 1754) was an English Novelist and Dramatist known for his Sir James Matthew Barrie 1st Baronet OM ( 9 May, 1860 &ndash 19 June, 1937) more commonly known as J Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J Daniel Handler’s (known as Lemony Snicket) A Series of Unfortunate Events could also be considered a form of romantic irony, in which the action is frequently halted for a warning that the events to follow could be potentially distressing. Daniel Handler (born February 28 1970 is an American writer, Screenwriter and Accordionist He is best known for his work under the Pen name A Series of Unfortunate Events is a children's Book series of thirteen novels written by Daniel Handler under the Pseudonym of Kurt Vonnegut wrote in metafiction in such critically acclaimed books as Slaughterhouse-Five, Breakfast of Champions and Cat's Cradle. Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children's Crusade A Duty-Dance With Death (1969 by Kurt Vonnegut, is a Post-modern anti-war science-fiction novel Breakfast of Champions or Goodbye Blue Monday is a 1973 novel by the American author Kurt Vonnegut. For other uses see Cat's cradle (disambiguation. Cat's Cradle is a 1963 Science fiction Novel by Kurt Vonnegut The concept is also explored in a philosophical context in Sophie's World, by Jostein Gaarder. Sophie's World ( Sofies verden in the original Norwegian) is a Novel by Jostein Gaarder, published in 1991 Jostein Gaarder (born August 8 1952 in Oslo) is a Norwegian Intellectual and author of several Novels short stories A similar example occurs in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy novel where the narrator reveals in advance “in the interest of reducing stress” that nobody will get hurt by a pair of incoming nuclear warheads, but that he will leave some suspense by stating that he would not reveal whose upper arm would get bruised in the process. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ( 1979, ISBN 0-330-25864-8 is the title of the first of five books in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy A notable attempt to sustain metafiction throughout a whole novel is Christie Malry's Own Double Entry by B.S. Johnson, none of the characters are real and exist only within the author's imagination. Christie Malry's Own Double-Entry is a novel by the late British avant-garde novelist B B S Johnson (Bryan Stanley Johnson ( 5 February, 1933 - 13 November, 1973) was an English experimental novelist poet literary critic

Usage controversy

There is considerable argument on the usage of the word "irony". Authority, in the form of dictionaries and usage guides, can be cited on both sides.

Descriptivists generally discount such self-proclaimed language authorities in favor of studying how individuals currently use the word. In Linguistics, prescription can refer both to the codification and the enforcement of rules governing how a language is to be used

The word ironic is sometimes used incorrectly as a synonym for incongruous or coincidental in situations where there is no “double audience,” and no contradiction between the ostensible and true meaning of the words. An example of such usage:

Ironically, Sir Arthur Sullivan is remembered for the comic operas he found embarrassing, rather than the serious works he hoped would be his legacy. Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO (13 May 1842 &ndash 22 November 1900 was an English composer of Irish and Italian descent best known for his operatic

The American Heritage Dictionary’s usage panel found it unacceptable to use the word ironic to describe mere unfortunate coincidences or surprising disappointments that “suggest no particular lessons about human vanity or folly. ” This definition still allows the above usage but excludes examples like Alanis Morissette’s “It's a traffic jam when you're already late” for a meeting, unless perhaps the topic of the meeting were traffic congestion, not something implied by the lyrics of “Ironic”. Alanis Nadine Morissette (born June 1 1974 is a Canadian-born Singer-songwriter, Record producer, and Actress. " Ironic " is a song written by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard and produced by Ballard for Morissette's third album Jagged Little Pill It is commonly stated that the song "Ironic" contains no actual examples of irony. It is sometimes suggested that Morissette intentionally misuses the term ironic in every example in the song "Ironic" for ironic effect. [8]

The American Heritage Dictionary recognizes a secondary meaning for irony: “incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language ( AHD) is an American Dictionary of the English language published by ” This sense, however, is not synonymous with "incongruous" but merely a definition of dramatic or situational irony. The word incongruity is not in the active vocabulary for most speakers of the English language, irony being much more widespread among those wanting to be precise in their language. The vocabulary of a person is defined either as the set of all Words that are understood by that person or the set of all words likely to be used by that person when constructing

Other historical prescriptivists have even stricter definitions for the word irony. In Linguistics, prescription can refer both to the codification and the enforcement of rules governing how a language is to be used Henry Watson Fowler, in The King's English, says “any definition of irony—though hundreds might be given, and very few of them would be accepted—must include this, that the surface meaning and the underlying meaning of what is said are not the same. Henry Watson Fowler ( 10 March 1858 – 26 December 1933) was an English schoolmaster Lexicographer and commentator ” Fowler would thus consider the Sullivan example above as incorrect usage.

This controversy is parodied in the Futurama episode "The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings", in which Bender repeatedly corrects people who use the term ironic incorrectly. Futurama is an Emmy Award -winning animated American sitcom created by Matt Groening, and developed by Groening and "The Devil’s Hands Are Idle Playthings" was the original Series finale of the animated television series Futurama. Bender, full name Bender Bending Rodríguez, designated Bending Unit 22, is a fictional Robot character in the Animated television series

Cultural variation

Irony often requires a cultural backdrop to be understood or noticed, and as with any culture-specific idiom, irony often cannot be perfectly transplanted. An expression with a secondary meaning clear to an east-coast American may be obscure to a Canadian, Briton, Australian, or even a west-coast American, though they all speak the same language. Attempting a literal translation of an ironic idiom to another language often renders the concept muddled or incoherent. Further, the use of verbal irony may also rely on non-literal cues such as tone of voice or posture. Every culture incorporates its own form of linguistic metaphor, idiom and subtlety. In such cases, translation requires extra care of irony, and perhaps explanation.

Notes

  1. ^ Sarcasm Society: Socratic Irony
  2. ^ Hutcheon, p. 13
  3. ^ New York Times, December 3, 2007, Page B1: It Dawned on Adults After WW II: 'You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!
  4. ^ http://www.civilwarinteractive.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=294&forum_id=1
  5. ^ Dead Presidents: Causes of Death
  6. ^ Guardian Online: The Final Irony
  7. ^ Reference: Season 4 Cycle 1—SCTV Network / 90 Show 2, Polynesiantown. Second City Television (SCTV was a Canadian television Sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between
  8. ^ http://www.msopr.com/mso/morissette.html

Bibliography

External links

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