Irony Comes Out of the Closet
Warning! What you are about to re-read (or read for the first time if you actually didn't read this) may (re)shock you! (Or not)
"The major types of irony are verbal, structural, dramatic, tragic, and cosmic" (Hamilton Essential Literary Terms pg 44).
I admit that this line isn't that insightful. The reason I decided to blog about this particular line is because I'd been told from 7th through 12th grade that there are three kinds of irony: verbal, dramatic, situational. The first two are in the book but where is situational? And where did these other kinds of irony come from? According to wikipedia, situational irony is "a discrepancy between the expected result and actual results when enlivened by 'perverse appropriateness'." Where was this in our book? Wikipedia even has another kind of irony (not mentioned in our book) called comic irony. For the rest of my fellow classmates, did this come as a surprise to you? Dr. Jerz, what are the kinds of irony because I have a conflict on my hands? lol. Anybody else reading this, tell me what you think.
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Lauren Miller on Irony Comes Out of the Closet: "Isn't it ironic? Don't ya th
Dennis G. Jerz on Irony Comes Out of the Closet: Good question, Angela, and goo
Erica Gearhart on Irony Comes Out of the Closet: Angela, I did not even notice
Angela, I did not even notice that situational irony was not mentioned. I too learned about only the three types of irony you mentioned(verbal, dramatic, and situational). This is the Norton Guide, for crying out loud! Situational irony should be included. However the only thing I can think of is best put into words by Hamilton in Essential Literary Terms at the beginning of the section on irony: "Irony is the broadest class of FIGURES OF THOUGHT that depend on presenting a deliberate contrast between two levels of meaning...The major types of irony are VERBAL, STRUCTURAL, DRAMATIC, TRAGIC, and COSMIC" (Hamilton 44). Here she should have put an empasis on "major." Perhaps she only included ones that she thought was important. If there are so many types of irony that we have never heard of, maybe these are more important than situational irony.
Good question, Angela, and good response, Erica. Neither Hamilton nor Norton is "The Big Book of Answers." Wikipedia isn't either! So it's not uncommon (a little litotes for ya there) that experts disagree. I will never give you a quiz asking you to list the types of irony, but if you use the word "ironic" in a draft or a blog, I might ask you to go into more depth -- in which case you might consult a definition from Hamilton, or Norton, or some other scholarly source, and refine your point accordingly. (But resist the temptation to shovel into your paper every scrap of knowledge you have learned about irony -- only present what is necessary to make your point.)
BTW, it's fine to refer to Wikipedia when you are posting to a blog, but use Wikipedia as a starting source if you are doing a research paper, and go look up and read the sources that Wikipedia cites, don't cite Wikipedia directly.
"Isn't it ironic? Don't ya think?"
Sorry, had to quote Alanis there, haha.
I am on the same page as you and Erica. The main types of irony that I learned about were verbal, dramatic, and situational. I think that the most important thing is for us to have a general idea of irony and then expand upon it if necessary, because I don't know about you, but I cannot remember what every single one of those types of irony were.
Now I have that song stuck in my head. Thanks, Angela.
Just kidding. :P
Yes, I learned there were only three kinds of irony. I was confused when I saw that the book said that there was cosmic irony. I have never heard about that kind in my life. But, there isn't a sure number of irony types. I guess there are different kinds of irony according to different sources.