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What Is Irony?Irony is when words are used to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal or expected meaning. An example of irony would be an old man winning the lottery and dying the next day. Something incredibly fortunate happened to him and he wouldn't even be able to make any use of it. I experience irony everyday when I transfer to the train from the bus and receive a free transfer to use within an hour and I don't get out of school until 6 hours later. In Edward Arlington Robinson's poem "Richard Cory", it is ironic how a man appears to have everything a man could want and then suddenly commit suicide. Examples of Richard's contentment are given in "he was richer - yes, richer than a king - " and "he was a gentleman from sole to crown, clean favored, and imperially slim". His admiration is explained thoroughly in this poem, as it is recited in third person. For example, "we people on the pavement looked at him" and "In fine we thought that he was everything To make us wish that we were in his place." It is ironic how the whole poem is nothing but positive and commendable traits and possessions of Richard Cory and he kills himself on a random summer day. Another example of irony is in O.Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" when a couple sells their most prized possessions for money to buy each other Christmas gifts. Della cut her hair for money and James sold his watch. It's ironic then that James bought Della a set of hair combs and Della bought James a metal fob for his watch, making their gifts to each other useless. Once the irony is understood in this story then you can appreciate the author's message of devotion. James and Della were so dedicated to getting gifts to compliment their favorite things that they sold their own. In "The House That Slaves Built", Gardiner Harris reported on the background of the past racism involved in America, mainly the White House, and the irony of Barack Obama now being our president. The White House was built by African American slaves 200 years ago and African Americans being allowed entry didn't stop making headlines until the later 1900's. Harris recounts how Booker T. Washington attending a private dinner with Theodore Roosevelt was reported as "the most damnable outrage which has ever been perpetrated by any citizen of the United States." The Texas legislature continued to have a problem with Lou Hoover even after she held a separate tea party for Oscar D. Priest's wife after he was elected to Congress. Gardiner Harris and probably the rest of America find it ironic that race was such an issue especially within government and now out of all positions, our president, is African American.
Here is an example of an ironic cartoon. Assuming that the author of a book on popularity would be popular, this cartoon explicates quite the opposite with an empty book signing.
Arielle Pena
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