What is the best definition of irony?

Definition of Irony. Irony is a literary device in which contradictory statements or situations reveal a reality that is different from what appears to be true. There are many forms of irony featured in literature. The effectiveness of irony as a literary device depends on the reader’s expectations and understanding of the disparity between

What is the meaning of Sullivan’s irony?

Sullivan, whose real interest was, ironically, serious music, which he composed with varying degrees of success, achieved fame for his comic opera scores rather than for his more earnest efforts. The American Heritage Dictionary ‘s secondary meaning for irony: “incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs”.

What is irony according to Schopenhauer?

Schopenhauer, in The World as Will and Representation, Volume 2, Chapter 8, claimed that the complete and total opposition between what is thought and what is seen constitutes irony. He wrote: “… if with deliberate intention something real and perceptible is brought directly under the concept of its opposite, the result is plain, common irony.

What is situational irony?

Situational irony involves a striking reversal of what is expected or intended: a person sidesteps a pothole to avoid injury and in doing so steps into another pothole and injures themselves.

What is meta irony in literature?

Meta irony: When an ironic or sarcastic joke is presented under an ironic lens, or “being ironic about being ironic” and even meta ironic statements are ironicised. Sprayed comment below a memorial plaque for Alois Alzheimer who first described Alzheimer’s disease – the German text means “Alois, we will never forget you!”

What does Kierkegaard mean by irony?

Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, and others, sees irony, such as that used by Socrates, as a disruptive force with the power to undo texts and readers alike. The phrase itself is taken from Hegel ‘s Lectures on Aesthetics, and is applied by Kierkegaard to the irony of Socrates.

What is the (awful/bitter) irony in the poem?

The (awful/bitter) irony is that in trying to forget her, he thought of her even more. See More Examples That’s just one of life’s little ironies.

What is an example of verbal irony?

For example, when in response to a foolish idea, we say, “What a great idea!” This is verbal irony. Situational irony occurs when, for instance, a man is chuckling at the misfortune of another, even when the same misfortune is, unbeknownst to him, befalling him.

What is an example of ironic understatement?

As you might expect, an ironic understatement creates contrast by undermining the impact of something, though the thing itself will be rather substantial or severe. Example: In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield casually says, “I have to have this operation.

How effective is irony as a literary device?

There are many forms of irony featured in literature. The effectiveness of irony as a literary device depends on the reader’s expectations and understanding of the disparity between what “should” happen and what “actually” happens in a literary work.