Verbal irony –what seems to be said or thought by a character in a text or drama A) sharply contrasts
with what is really meant by the speaker and understood by the intelligent reader or listener, or B)
sharply contrasts with what is understood, ultimately, by the reader/listener, but NOT by the person
who produces the speech or thoughts. We can call these type 1 (the first kind) or type 2 (the second
kind).
Verbal irony1: In the first kind of verbal irony above, the contrast is between what seems to be
said (the literal meaning) and what the writer (speaker) consciously intends. The writer or
speaker in verbal irony1 knows that he/she is speaking ironically. Sarcasm – verbally ironic
mockery or insult -- is the most popular form of verbal irony1.
Verbal Irony2: In some situations, the irony is intended by the author of the text or the “narrator,” but
the character who speaks or thinks the ironic line does not perceive or intend the irony. This kind is
verbal irony2.
Verbal irony2 : In the second kind of verbal irony, what the producer of a literary text has a
character say or think contrasts with what the intelligent reader understands as the true
meaning of what the character says or thinks. However, in verbal irony2, the character himself
does not intend the irony.
Note: This distinction is made by me to help you understand the general idea of verbal irony. The
subscripted numbers (1 and 2) should NOT be used by you in your papers, since this is my invented
numbering system, not something shared by the students and teachers of rhetoric.
Examples of Verbal Irony
Review
Type 1: The character in the memoir, film, novel, essay, etc. understands the ironic meaning of his or
her words or thoughts. Note: Other characters in the text or film may or may not understand the ironic
meaning.
Type 2: The character in the memoir, film, novel, essay, etc. does not understand the ironic meaning
of his words or thoughts, but the author or narrator of the text understands that ironic meaning, and
so does the intelligent reader. As with type 1, other characters in the text or film may or may not
understand the ironic meaning.
1. Mr. Smith loved to give extra help to students who struggled. and he frequently expressed this altruistic
passion to the class. “Come in for tutoring,” he would say to the students who had blown off their
homework. He knew that this strategy would produce better results than preparing lessons for the
students who had paid attention and who regularly did the work he had assigned them. “The most
effective teacher helps those who need it most,” he would tell his colleagues in the staff room. And he
knew that he was that teacher, and that he was helping those who needed it most, and that in the
end, this helped everyone, even the class geniuses.
2. “The Third Reich’s helpfulness to oppressed minorities is too well known to require comment
here,” Miss Rabinowitz said to her least favorite student, a passionate defender of Adolf Hitler’s
basically good intentions.
3. “Every student loves P.E. best,” laughed the PE teacher. “Of course! Who wants to sit around
punching numbers on a calculator, anyway? You do that because you have to do it, not because you
want to.” And off he would stride, enjoying his status as the teacher of the school’s universally favored
subject.
4. “I majored in recess,” my older brother used to tell me. “That’s why I’m so successful now.” And he
would wipe down the counter and point to the mop. “Be like me. Just make sure that you marry a rich
girl while you’re working on your major.”
5. “History begins with America,” said the French teacher to Mark.
6. Doctor Jones addressed his class: “I’m sure your studies of history have yielded a thorough
understanding of the date that Columbus discovered America.”
7. “Columbus discovered America, and helpfully explained to the natives that they were now his slaves.”
8. Garrison Keilor remarked that the Pilgrims came to the New World to enjoy less freedom than they had
had in the Old World.
9. “There’s nothing students like more than taking notes from a lecture for 50 minutes straight,” said Mr.
Jones to the trainees. “And it really focuses their minds. They tell me so.”
10. Melissa reviewed the evening’s work. She had completed her math homework with few problems
except a complete absence of correct answers. The important thing was that the work was thoughtful,
and her teacher would surely appreciate the many chances she had taken by using her own
methods rather than those he had outlined in tedious detail for the benefit of less colorful characters
than Melissa.
11. “American students are the best in the world at math, if by ‘best’ you mean ‘incapable of advanced
work.’”
12. Michael knew that he would get the highest grade in the class, because he was smarter than other
students, and smarter students deserved better grades, and people always got what they deserved.
Especially people like Michael.