Four Paragraph Irony Essay
*** NOTE!!! Before you begin writing, be sure to reread the section of the story or poem that
you are using in your essay so you recognize the good details you can use. Do not depend on just your
memory.
First Paragraph – Introduction
The introduction needs to include three things: (1) a hook, (2) information about what piece of
literature and its author you are using to make the comparison; and (3) the thesis statement. For
example, in an essay about comparing the irony in “Marigolds” to a real life experience the introduction
could look like this:
“No pain, no gain.” This is a cliché often used in sports, but it can also refer to a more serious
life experience. In the short story, “Marigolds,” by Eugenia Collier, a young girl grows up and sees life
in a new way through an ironic twist. Similarly, I “grew up” through a life experience when I was
thirteen. Anger and frustration, though painful, can often lead to a greater understanding of what life
is about.
*** NOTE! (The introduction never uses the words, “In my paper…” or “My essay is about…” DO NOT
USE THESE WORDS! The reader knows that this is your essay or paper.)
Second and Third Paragraphs (Body Paragraphs – The “meat” of your essay.)
The next step is to use discussion and evidence to support your thesis statement found at the
end of the introduction. (Remember to have at least one direct quote somewhere in your essay. The 2 nd
and 3rd paragraphs are excellent places for quotes.) Here is an example of body paragraphs:
Lizabeth and I shared a similar experience in how we felt deep frustration with life, which
ironically, helped us to learn something very positive about life. In “Marigolds,” Lizabeth heard her
father crying late one night, and realized how inferior he felt since he was unable to find work and
support his family. This scared Lizabeth, and she was unable to handle how alone and frustrated she
felt, so she grabbed her brother, Joey, and went to Miss Lottie’s house. There she began to tear and
rip up the only thing of beauty in her world, a beautiful patch of colorful marigolds. Similarly, this is
what happened to me when I was in 8th grade. A teacher and his wife, in my small hometown, had
lost their eight month-old daughter, and our church youth choir was asked to sing at the funeral. As I
sat there in the choir, near the tiny white coffin, I grew frustrated, angry, and heartbroken that this
had to happen. It was not right that this couple had to lose their child.
Even though Lizabeth and I were both frustrated, ironically we learned something very
positive from our experiences. After Lizabeth had finished ruining the marigolds, she looked up and
saw Miss Lottie. “For as I gazed at the immobile face with the sad, weary eyes, I gazed upon a kind of
reality that is hidden to childhood.” Lizabeth now realized that Miss Lottie was not a witch, but a sad,
poor, old woman who had very little to show for her life, and that was the beginning of Lizabeth’s
understanding of compassion. Likewise, when I sat near the beautiful baby girl, I began to realize that
life was not always going to be fair. Bad things will happen to good people, but as compassionate
people we reach out and care for each other during those times. By singing for that tiny girl, I began
to realize that I was honoring her and her parents the best way I knew how at the time.
Conclusion
You need to restate your thesis statement, not word for word, but in a way to mean the same.
Then “wrap it up” by leaving your reader with an idea about what was learned through this ironic
experience.
Ironically, as young teenagers, Lizabeth and I learned that, painful experiences can lead to
something good and positive in one’s life. Dealing with one’s own pain, and the anguish of others is
never fun or easy. It’s not supposed to be. However, with that pain comes greater understanding and
growth which helps us to become caring, compassionate people. That gain is definitely worth the
pain.