Irony

Irony is a form of expression in which an implicit meaning is concealed or contradicted by the explicit meaning of the expression. Irony involves the perception that things are not what they are said to be or what they seem. Dramatic irony lies in the audience's deeper perceptions of a coming fate, which contrast with a character's lack of knowledge about it.

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H. W. Fowler, in Modern English Usage, had this to say of irony:

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:Irony is a form of utterance that postulates a double audience, consisting of one party that hearing shall hear and shall not understand, and another party that, when more is meant than meets the ear, is aware, both of that "more" and of the outsider's incomprehension.

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Irony is, therefore, a matter of perceived and real attitude or values of the speaker, rather than a difference between the denotative meanings of the words a speaker uses.

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The song "Poor Judd" from the musical Oklahoma! provides an especially clear example of this form of irony: Curley's words and tone of voice are perceived by Judd as expressions of camaraderie and empathy, while the onlookers (and the audience) understand that it is mockery. A common metaphor for using irony is to "have your tongue in cheek".

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In the staged propaganda photo of Hitler (illustration, above right) several layers of apparent perceptions offer irony of multiple audiences: the private understanding of the dictator presented in his most engaging and civilian aspect, the naive trust of the little girl, the ambivalent collusion of the anonymous photographer of this staged photo opportunity, and the perception of the modern viewer, who is additionally conditioned by photos of inmates at Auschwitz and other horrors of Nazi rule.

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H. W. Fowler: REDIRECT Henry Watson Fowler...

Modern English Usage: REDIRECT A Dictionary of Modern English Usage...

Oklahoma!: Oklahoma! (1943) was the first musical play written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II, working together. Some argue that it marked a revolution in musical drama: While it was hardly the first time a play with music told a story of emotional depth and psychologi...