Jan 3, 2010

The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg | Style

Verbal Irony
Commonly and simply referred to as "irony," verbal or rhetorical irony hinges on discrepancies between reality and the words a writer or speaker uses to represent reality. A fictional character may or may not be aware of the contradictions, but the meaning of the text often depends on the reader recognizing them. According to the Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms, ‘‘Irony is commonly employed as a 'wink' that the listener or reader is expected to notice so that he or she may be 'in on the secret.'’’ If such effects are...