Irony
Irony can be used to tremendous effect. Though all too often, people (Alanis included), misuse the words ironic and irony.
Sometimes the terms are mistaken for coincidence or comedy. Sure, irony can involve humour, but it can just as easily be tragic.
Irony's use as a literary device dates back to Socrates or maybe even earlier, but T.S. Eliot was its master. Essentially, irony stems from contradictions in what is expressed and what is implied.
Just last week, I found the following delicious example of irony:
The definition for both pauciloquent (adjective) and pauciloquently (adverb) is being brief or using few words. With such a long root word and spellings that most people would find challenging, pauciloquent and pauciloquently are anything but simple or succinct. That's sweet irony.
Could only be funnier if the definition of supercalifragilisticexpialidocious was brevity.
AWESOME!
Yes, I know it’s amusing that this blog post isn’t particularly brief. ;-)
Sometimes the terms are mistaken for coincidence or comedy. Sure, irony can involve humour, but it can just as easily be tragic.
Irony's use as a literary device dates back to Socrates or maybe even earlier, but T.S. Eliot was its master. Essentially, irony stems from contradictions in what is expressed and what is implied.
Just last week, I found the following delicious example of irony:
The definition for both pauciloquent (adjective) and pauciloquently (adverb) is being brief or using few words. With such a long root word and spellings that most people would find challenging, pauciloquent and pauciloquently are anything but simple or succinct. That's sweet irony.
Could only be funnier if the definition of supercalifragilisticexpialidocious was brevity.
AWESOME!
Yes, I know it’s amusing that this blog post isn’t particularly brief. ;-)
Where do you dream up your blog pieces, Lise?
ReplyDeleteYou brighten my mornings.
thx
Sam