Irony,Satire and Such
“A taste for irony has kept more hearts from breaking
than a sense of humor, for it takes irony to appreciate the
joke which is on oneself.”-Jessamyn West
“Parody is homage gone sour.”--Harry F. Waters
“[Satire] is a pretty mocking of the life”- William
Shakespeare
Three of a Kind
There are three kinds
of irony:
• Verbal Irony
• Situational Irony
• Dramatic Irony
Verbal Irony
Verbal irony is the simplest kind of irony. It occurs
when someone says one thing but means the
opposite.
• The man who remarks “You sure can pick ‘em”
to his friend whose team just lost.
• The woman who says “Fine day for a picnic” in
the middle of a torrential rain.
• The kid who says, “Oh, perfect” when receiving
an F on a test.
When people recognize verbal irony, they often laugh
in appreciation.
Situational Irony
Situational irony is more important to a storyteller than
other kinds, as it describes an occurance that is not just
surprising; it is the opposite of what we expected. It seems
to mock intentions and plans.
• A haughty rich man who comes begging tomorrow.
• The woman who dreads goings to a party and then
meets her future husband there.
Situational irony is often touching/moving…it can cause
tears or laughter because we sense we are close to the
truth of life.
Dramatic Irony
Dramatic ironay occurs when we (the readers) know
what is in store for a character but the character does
not know.
• We know, but the hero does not, that the
elevator cables she’s just entered have been cut.
• Little Red Riding Hood--in all her innocence,
who knocks on her grandmother’s door, and
receives the wolf instead.
Dramatic irony is enjoyable because it mimics life,
which is forever pulling surprises on us.
Irony, of all kinds, is oddly satisfying…
Ironic Lyrics
An old man turned ninety-eight
He won the lottery and died the next day
It's a black fly in your Chardonnay
It's a death row pardon two minutes too late
Isn't it ironic ... don't you think
Chorus
And life has a funny way of helping you out when
You think everything's gone wrong and everything
blows up
In your face
It's a traffic jam when you're already late
It's a no-smoking sign on your cigarette break
It's like rain on your wedding day
It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a
It's a free ride when you've already paid
knife
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
It's meeting the man of my dreams
Who would've thought ... it figures
And then meeting his beautiful wife
And isn't it ironic... don't you think
Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly
A little too ironic... and yeah I really do think...
He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids good-bye Repeat Chorus
He waited his whole damn life to take that flight
And as the plane crashed down he thought
'Well isn't this nice...'
Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
And isn't it ironic ... don't you think
Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out
Repeat Chorus
Helping you out
Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think everything's okay and everything's
going right
Practice
Type
Meaning
Verbal Irony
Saying one thing and
meaning another
Situational Irony
What happens is the
opposite of what’s
expected
Dramatic Irony
We know something
a character does not
know
Parody and Sarcasm
Parody is funny. Period. End of story. It’s whole
intent is laughter through mockery.
Sarcasm can also be funny. The intent behind it,
unlike parody, is to wound.
Neither of parody or sarcasm have much…
substance. Their humor is often forgotten as soon
as the joke’s over.
Click here
Example of Parody
We’ll start out with the real lyrics--(not in their poetic form)
Gangsta’s Paradise--Coolio
As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I take a look at
my life And realize there's nothing left. 'Cause I've been blasting
and laughing so long That even my momma thinks that my mind
has gone. But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it. Me
be treated like a punk, you know that's unheard of. You betta watch
how ya talking And where ya walking Or you and your homies
might be lined in chalk. I really hate to trip but I gotta lob, As they
croak, I see myself in the pistol smoke. Fool, I'm the kinda g that
little homie's wanna be like, On my knees in the night Saying
prayers in the street light.[Chorus]
Look at the situation, they got me facing, I can't live a normal life, I
was raised by the state. So I gotta be down with the 'hood team,
Too much television watching, got me chasing dreams. I'm an
educated fool with money on my mind Got my ten in my hand and
a gleam in my eye. I'm a locked out gangsta, set tripping banger
And my homies are down so don't arouse my anger. Fool, death
ain't nothing but a heart beat away, I'm living life do or die, what
can I say? I'm twenty-three now, will I ever live to see twenty-four,
The way things is going I don't know.
Satire
Satire is a type of writing that ridicules human
vices and folly to bring about social reform.
It is often subtle althought it can be over-thetop and often uses mimicry, parody, sarcasm,
and/or irony.
Again, the goal is pointing out folly and
creating social change…not just mockery.
Satire’s Goals
Satire, unlike a lot of writing, has multiple audiences
and multiple purposes/goals.
AUDIENCE
GOAL
Object of Satire
Bring about change
-through mockery-
(those who think differently
than satirist)
Supporters
Show superiority
(those who agree with the
satirist)
Fence-sitters
Sway to satirist’s side
Parody, Sarcasm & Satire
Though satire often uses parody and sarcasm to make a point, it
does not have to. There is difference in them….
Parody neither aims to hurt nor instruct the object of its mockery.
It is simply having a laugh.
Sarcasm aims to wound and hurt, to poke fun of.
Satire trusts the object of mockery to take the criticism and
change. It finds value in the object/person and hopes for a good
outcome.
Irony and Satire
As with parody and sarcasm, satire can but doesn’t
have to use irony.
Irony, like malice, is attitude…it’s a literary device used
in writing to create tone.
Satire is not an attitude but a way of expressing
oneself—A STYLE OR TYPE OF WRITING. It uses
devices, like irony, to prove its point.
An Example of Satire
One of the most famous satirists of all time is
Jonathan Swift, whose A Modest Proposal argued
that the poverty in Ireland could be solved by eating
the babies of the poor.
While he was not condoning cannibalism, he was
trying to argue that the ruling class was so ineffectual
in solving the problem that his suggestion might as
well be considered, ridiculous as it was…
Another Example
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In Writing Now
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Now You Try
The hard part is often coming up with a subject.
1. Think of something ridiculous
a. Your parents
b. Your teachers
c. Stupid laws/rules
d. Ridiculous expectations
e. Stupid people (e.g. those who wanted to
secede after the most recent elections)
2. What is ridiculous about the party to be
satirized?
3. How can you show it?