Teaching Irony

Oh, the irony!

What do the following slides

have in common?

http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/billboard-irony.jpg

The police chief is arrested for robbing

the bank

The sign in front of the school has

the word “school” misspelled

They are ironic!

Verbal irony A writer or speaker says one thing but really means something different.

You fail your science test, and your friend tells you, “Great job, genius!”

Your friend drops a stack of books, and you say, “Wow, you are so graceful!”

You hate your friend’s new haircut, but when you see him, you say, “I love your new haircut. It looks great.”

Situational ironyWhat actually happens is the opposite of

what is expected

An English teacher is a terrible speler A fire house burns A cop is arrested for stealing

Ironic CartoonsThe link will take to you a series of cartoons

that contain cartoons with verbal irony

http://www.offthemark.com/cartoons/ironic/pg/3  # 2006-07-12

http://www.offthemark.com/cartoons/ironic/pg/5 1994-05-05

http://www.offthemark.com/cartoons/ironic/pg/4 2006-05-06 2006-01-02

Dramatic irony The reader or audience knows something

a character does not know

Have you ever seen a horror movie that has a killer on the loose? You, and the rest of the audience, know that the teenagers should not go walking in the woods late at night, but they think a midnight stroll would be romantic. Needless to say, the teens become the next victims.

Ironic CartoonsThe link will take to you a series of cartoons

that contain cartoons with verbal irony

http://www.offthemark.com/cartoons/ironic/pg/4

2006-05-06

http://www.offthemark.com/cartoons/ironic/pg/5

1994-06-08

Time to practice Match the statement with the type of irony

A. When watching a talk show, the audience knows why a person has been brought on the show. However, the person sitting in a chair does not know that he is going to be reunited with a former lover. This adds to the suspense and humor of the show.

B. You stay up all night studying for a test. When you go to class, you discover the test is not until the next day.

C. You are arguing with your mother, who reprimands you for being "smart." Your reply is a sarcastic, "If you think I am smart, then why won't you let me make some smart decisions?”

Verbal, Dramatic, Situational

AnswersA Dramatic

B Situational

C Verbal

Great stories to teach irony

“The Sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty

“The Open Window” by Saki

“The Interlopers” by Saki

“The Gift of The Magi” by O’Henry

“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

“The Cask of Amontillado” By Edgar Allan Poe

http://members.accessus.net/~bradley/storieswithanironictwist.html

Credits Hot Iron

MikeNeilson http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeneilson/458343967/

ironing board saved from rust PrettyCoolShopshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/prettycooljewels/4518990550/