It appeared in Ancient Greece and was interpreted as "deceit with the help of words". Without it, it is difficult to imagine simple communication, literature, philosophy, folk culture. With its help, you can hint at something and convey the truth. What is irony is the topic of this article.
What is irony?
This is a subtle, hidden mockery. Those who are interested in what irony means is worth replying that its purpose is to contrast the real meaning of words with their literal meaning. That is, a person will be ironic, calling a brave coward or fool smart. Mockery played an important role in the folk humor culture, satirical genres of literature and ancient comedy. Many people are using this oratory to hint about something.
Irony - Psychology
Such malice creates the impression that the subject of discussion is not what it appears. Asking what irony means, you can answer that it is a sign of subtle mind, greatness of soul and grace, but in fact it is a protective mechanism. Its meaning is hidden under the shell of a negative expression of the meaning of what has been said. She always denies the attitude and does not take root in any position: ironically, over one subject that touches or "pulls out", a person ricochet touches his opposite.
The irony in philosophy
As a vital position , a dialectical instrument of philosophical reasoning, mockery takes on special significance in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Drawing on the experience of Socrates, who used the notion of irony in disputes with the sophists, and the German romantics Schlegel and Müller, the figures of that time viewed it as follows:
- Zolger considered her the essence of art.
- A.F. Losev used it as an expressive device, contrasted with the expressed idea.
- K. Marx and F. Engels introduced the concept of the irony of history, which was the result of the fact that the people who made the revolution were disillusioned with this and realized that it was not at all like what they were striving for.
Types of irony
- Straight line . It aims at belittling and giving the phenomenon described a negative or a funny character.
- Anti-war . Irony and its types include anti-war. This is the opposite meaning of direct mockery. After all, what is irony is a way to demonstrate an object undervalued.
- Self-irony . Mockery, the object of which is a personal person. At the same time, its subtext can have a positive meaning when a professional speaks of himself as an idle worker.
What is the difference between irony and sarcasm?
The first is a subtle instrument of the comic. Irony as a means of expressiveness is essentially a joke, which contrasts the literal meaning of words with true meaning. It causes laughter and nothing more. The difference between irony and sarcasm is that the second does not cause a smile. It is used for harsh criticism and assessment of the moral qualities of the object. Sarcasm calls for public censure and condemnation.
Here are the characteristic differences:
- The irony conceals and veils the object of speech. Sarcasm rebukes with a minimal amount of allegory.
- The ironic utterance always has a positive form, in contrast to a veiled mockery, to which the meaning is reduced. Sarcasm directly indicates the subject of pejorative criticism.
- Irony as a kind of comic is used in humorous genres and oral figurative speech.
- Sarcasm is a sign of sharp satire. It is used by speakers in their accusatory speeches and writers of publicistic texts that have a socio-political content.
What is the difference between satire and irony?
The first is a kind of comic in art. From humor and irony, she is distinguished by the sharpness of reproof. Its strength depends on the social significance of the position occupied by the satirist and the effectiveness of comic means - sarcasm, hyperbole, allegory, grotesque, parody. As a genre originated in Roman literature, and then embraced other forms of art:
- cinema;
- the stage;
- TV;
- literature (comedy);
- ISO (cartoon, cartoon);
- journalism (feuilleton) and others.
The difference between satire and irony is that it is fighting a comically depicted object. It is characterized by activity, strong-willed direction and purposefulness . In satire, laughter always adjoins indignation and indignation. Very often they come to the fore, pushing ridiculous. The authors who write in the satirical genre include:
- Saltykov-Shchedrin.
- Swift.
- Walter.
- Beaumarchais and others.
How to learn the irony?
The ability to juggle words skillfully can be useful in life. After all, irony is needed in order to culturally "bite horns" and not point out the shortcomings of a person directly, but subtly playing with words to preserve it and its dignity. It is very important to take into account the age of the audience, gender, mentality, cultural traditions. Elegantly play with words you can learn, if:
- A lot to read, nurturing aesthetic taste. Choose for this domestic and foreign classics, which will help develop speech and thinking.
- A puzzling question, how to learn sarcasm and irony, you can advise you to learn in everything to see the contrast. It is necessary to say the opposite of what is meant. The highest degree of irony is the use of hyperbole, that is, exaggeration. The word "qualitative" is replaced by "consumer goods".
- Remember stable expressions and screw them into your speech: "golden hands", "seven sprouts in the forehead", etc.