Verbal Irony - Definition and Examples

Verbal irony is a  trope (or figure of speech) in which the intended meaning of a statement differs from the meaning that the words appear to express. Verbal irony can occur at the level of the individual word or sentence (Nice hair, Bozo), or it may pervade an entire text, as in Jonathan Swifts A Modest Proposal. Jan Swearingen reminds us that Aristotle equated verbal irony  with understatement and verbal dissembling--that is with saying or expressing a veiled or guarded version of what one means (Rhetoric and Irony, 1991). The expression verbal irony was first used in  English criticism in 1833 by Bishop Connop Thirlwall in an article on the Greek playwright Sophocles. Examples In [the 1994 movie]  Reality Bites, Winona Ryder, applying for a newspaper job, is stumped when asked to define irony. It’s a good question. Ryder replies, Well, I can’t really define irony . . . but I know it when I see it. Really?Irony requires an opposing meaning between what’s said and what’s intended. Sounds simple, but it’s not. A paradox, something that seems contradictory but may be true, is not an irony. The Times stylebook, which, believe me, can be harsh, offers useful advice:The loose use of irony and ironically, to mean an incongruous turn of events, is trite. Not every coincidence, curiosity, oddity, and paradox is an irony, even loosely. And where irony does exist, sophisticated writing counts on the reader to recognize it.(Bob Harris, Isn’t It Ironic? Probably Not. The New York Times, June 30, 2008) Verbal Irony as Criticism What separates ironic comments from merely critical comments is that the intended criticism is often not obvious and not meant to be obvious to all participants (part of the face-saving factor). Let us compare the following examples which all share the same situational context: the addressee has once again left the door open. To get the hearer to close the door, a speaker may make any one of the following remarks: (1) Shut the goddamn door!(2) Shut the door!(3) Please shut the door!(4) Would you please shut the door?(5) You always leave the door open.(6) The door seems to be open.(7) I am so glad you remembered to shut the door.(8) I think people who shut doors when its cold outside are really considerate.(9) I love sitting in a draft. Examples (1) through (4) are direct requests varying by the amount of politeness used. Examples (5) through (9) are indirect requests, and, except for (5), which functions as a complaint, are all ironic. Even though the request for action in (5) is indirect, the criticism is obvious, whereas in examples (6) through (9) the criticism is hidden to different degrees. We see here that irony is more than the mere opposition of a surface and an underlying reading. The speaker of (8) in all actuality probably believes that people who shut doors when its cold outside are really considerate. Thus, there is no discernible opposition of a surface and an underlying reading. Nevertheless, examples like (8) should also be covered by any definition of irony.(Katharina Barbe, Irony in Context. John Benjamins, 1995) Swifts Verbal Irony The simplest form of high relief verbal irony is the antiphrastic praise for blame, for example, the Congratulations! we offer to the smart Alec who has let the side down. . . . [Jonathan] Swifts Directions to Servants, his satire of the faults and follies of servants, takes the form of advising them to do what they too frequently already do and reproducing their lame excuses as valid reasons: In Winter Time light the Dining-Room Fire but two Minutes before Dinner is served up, that your Master may see, how saving you are of his Coals.(Douglas Colin Muecke, Irony and the Ironic. Taylor Francis, 1982) Socratic Irony The everyday irony that, today, we identify in simple cases of verbal irony has its origin in [the] Socratic technique of eironeia. We use a word but expect others to recognise that there is more to what we are saying than the uses of everyday language. (Claire Colebrook, Irony. Routledge, 2004)I value the privilege of sitting beside you very highly, for I have no doubt that you will fill me with an ample draught of the finest wisdom. (Socrates addressing Agathon in Platos Symposium, c. 385-380 BC) Verbal irony forms the basis for what we mean when we say irony. In ancient Greek comedy, there was a character called an eiron who seemed subservient, ignorant, weak, and he played off a pompous, arrogant, clueless figure called the alazon. Northrop Frye describes the alazon as the character who doesnt know that he doesnt know, and thats just about perfect. What happens, as you can tell, is that the eiron spends most of his time verbally ridiculing, humiliating, undercutting, and generall y getting the best of the alazon, who doesnt get it. But we do; irony works because the audience understands something that eludes one or more of the characters.   (Thomas C. Foster, How to Read Literature Like a Professor. HarperCollins, 2003)Audens Unknown CitizenOur researchers into Public Opinion are contentThat he held the proper opinions for the time of year;When there was peace, he was for peace; when there was war, he went.He was married and added five children to the population,Which our Eugenist says was the right number for a parent of his generation.And our teachers report that he never interfered with their education.Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd:Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard.(W. H. Auden, The Unknown Citizen. Another Time, 1940)The Lighter Side of Verbal IronyCommander William T. Riker: Charming woman!Lt. Commander Data: [voice-over] The tone of Commander Rikers voice makes me suspect that he is not serious about finding Ambassador TPel charming. My experience suggests that in fact, he may mean the exact opposite of what he says. Irony is a form of expression I have not yet been able to master.​​(Datas Day, Star Trek: The Next Generation, 1991) Also Known As: rhetorical irony, linguistic irony

The Ethics Of Physician Assisted Suicide - 1723 Words

Physician assisted suicide, the suicide of a patient suffering from an incurable disease, effected by the taking of lethal drugs provided by a doctor for this purpose. The question of whether or not this practice should be made legal in the United States has been one of controversy since 1997. Beginning with the case of Washington v. Glucksberg, where the United States Supreme Court ruled that the matter of the constitutionality of a right to a physician’s aid in dying, was best left up to the states. Then gaining even more controversy when Oregon passed the Death with Dignity Act, which allowed terminally-ill Oregonians to end their lives by the practice of physician assisted suicide. (CNN.com) Proponents of physician assisted suicide†¦show more content†¦The practice is only legal in the states of Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and California, with Oregon being the first state to legalize the practice in 1994 and California being the latest state to legalize it in 201 5. Although the practice is legal within the states mentioned, each state has its own laws and regulations as to who can receive the assisted suicide, in addition to what kind of physician must perform the assisted suicide and what procedures they must take. For example, in the state of Oregon, the patient must have a terminal illness in addition to a prognosis of six months or less to live. The physician providing the service must be either a Doctor of Medicine or a Doctor of Osteopathy and be willing to participate the act. In a different state such as California, the patient requesting an assisted suicide must first submit two oral requests, fifteen days apart, with a written request sent directly to his or her attending physician. California also requires the physician performing the practice to be either a Doctor of Medicine or a Doctor of Osteopathy and be willing to participate the act. (CNN.com) One organization in particular that aids terminally ill patients with informatio n regarding physician assisted suicide is the Final Exit Network. Originally known as the Hemlock Society which was organized in 1980 then over time split into two organizations known as the Final

Describe Some Difficulties You Face Free Essays

When studying a particular language, it seems that everyone has to carefully prepare for many things, such as many grammatical terms, new words, as well as sentence structures. In fact, as time passed people will deeply comprehend why a language has to follow several rules and some exceptions. Most people just think a language only contains few aspects such as grammar or words, which is so easy for learners to understand. We will write a custom essay sample on Describe Some Difficulties You Face or any similar topic only for you Order Now In fact, there are a lot of burdens as well as difficulties which one will run into when he or she really wants to fully have a clear picture. Take English as a prime example. Obviously, English is more and more spoken around the world. In fact, there are many English levels in which one needs to realize when studying English. For example, in beginner or pre-intermediate levels, English seems to be easy for most people, because people just gain some basic words and most time they use English for only communicative purposes. However, far beyond these levels, learners will enter a much tougher level of English-studying, especially English uesed in many academic domains or many literary purposes. Thus, in these fields, English is no longer something easy; people have to meticulously understand how to precisely use English both in words and many grammatical points. For one thing, it is very easy to use English in many informal contexts, people feel free to express their ideas, talk about what they think and so on†¦ Nevertheless, in some formal situations, particularly in academic writings, it is very difficult for us to determine who will be readers. In practice, the audiences may be our friends, professors or someone else. Therefore, we have to devise a formal essay which not only shows our respects to readers, also give them impression of what we wrote. A problem here is how we can know or have an idea whether the way we are writing is formal. Moreover, how formal we can make to give a clear picture for the readers or too many formalities can cause confusion to out audiences. To solve this problem effectively, we have to practice writing as much as we can to see our weaknesses and learn many important lessons from previous mistakes. In addition, we can also read several English books to have a grip on how many native English write to model ourselves on the way they think and write. Another point is the usage of words. Apparently, there is no doubt that we will write what we think. However, what if there are many same words in just one passage. Readers will be bored because there is no attraction, emphasis to highlight main points. Hence, learning new words is particularly essential when studying English. But the difficulty is how we can use a word in a right context. To better illustrate, think about the two words â€Å"tall† and â€Å"high†. Obviously, these two words are used to measure a length of an object. Tall will be used to talk about height of a person or tree. But it cannot be used to mention quality, size or degree. No one says â€Å"a tall temperature or speed†. As a result when learning a new word besides remembering its meaning we need to have a very good idea of how we can apply it in right contexts. To conclusion, there are many vital aspects that we need to consider when learning a language. Keep practice using language regularly is the best way which we can use it perfectly. How to cite Describe Some Difficulties You Face, Essay examples

Shoehorn Sonata Speech + Related Text free essay sample

At age 15, you are thrown into a war, fighting for your life and your will to live is slowly diminishing. Are you scared? Probably, but you know that if you show fear, everyone will see you as being weak. This is what the main protagonists of both the play, Shoe Horn Sonata by John Mistro and the movie, Hunger Games directed by Gary Ross endured. Together with photographs, cinematic techniques and symbols, these texts represent the devastation of war, the bonds of friendship forged during a war and their respective will to survive. Friendship is defined as a relationship between friends. In Shoe Horn Sonata, when Sheila and Bridie first meet, it seems unlikely that they will ever be friends. They are complete polar opposites. Sheila cynical statement ‘People always get on when they’re tossed in together. I’d hardly call that friendship. ’, reinforces that Bridie and Sheila initially formed a friendship out of desperation to survive, not because there was mutual affection for each other. We will write a custom essay sample on Shoehorn Sonata Speech + Related Text or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Bitter tone is utilised to convey Shelia’s survival instincts are prioritised over tender friendship. Additionally the alliteration of tossed in together reflects how people in war have no choice of their companions, that it pushes them together in survival. Similarly in the Hunger Games , the friendships that Katniss makes with both Rue and are forged out of necessity and need rather than sentiment. Rue and Katniss team up as they both have valuable skills assets that the other would like to utilise to their advantage such as when Rue manages to take a weapon unnoticed using the trees. In many ways, an alliance with Rue is an alliance to District 11 which Katniss can use to her benefit. Peter and Katniss act as if they are lovers in a ploy for the audience as a means to survive as seen when Katniss receives a note from Haymitch asking ‘You call that a kiss? ’. The sarcastic tone makes Katniss realise that the ploy will be futile as if Haymitch is doubtful then others will be too. Both texts show that although they may not have been friends in normal circumstances, war has pushed them together and this has attributed to them surviving. Symbols are also used in both texts to represent the protagonists’ hope and survival. For example, the shoehorn in Shoe Horn Sonata is first seen when the girls are in the water and Bridie uses it to wake Sheila up and prevent her from drowning. In this scene, it a metaphorical and representative an object of survival and the will to live. As the play goes on, the shoehorn symbolises family for Bridie and sacrifice for Sheila but in the end it unites the girls and demonstrates that not only did they survive the war, they survived the effects of the war as well. Caramel is another symbol of survival. It was the only luxury the girls had during the camp and ‘it had to last till the end of the war’. The caramel was even important enough that it was written into the girls’ wills. This conveys to the audience that the girls clung to the hope that they would eventually be released from the prison camp. On the other hand, in Hunger Games, the mockingbird pin was not only Katniss’s link to her district, but a symbol of her love for her father as well as her survival. The pin is a representation of a creature with a spirit of her own. By breaking free of the Capitol’s control this show that the Capitol does not have complete control of the districts. Katniss, like the mockingjay, has escaped from the Capitol’s clutches which is why the pin symbolises her survival and spirit. The photographs shown during interview in Shoe Horn Sonata support the dialogue and give the audience a visual representation of what the girls went through during the camp. In scene 7, you see visuals of what the prisoners looked like during the camp. They are emaciated, haggard and impoverish. The effects of the imprisonment of the innocent is clearly highlighted during these photographs. The stark black and white photos depicting the harrowing effects of mistreatment of innocents evokes sympathy towards the prisoners from the viewer and loathing for their captors. In contrast, within the Hunger Games, the film is seen as whirs and jolts with sharply edited scenes intercutting from perspective to perspective which represents Katniss’s inner turmoil and her agitation which accompanies those new changes. Her life is unpredictable and this is shown as the camera shakes around representing the sudden changes in her life and well as extreme long shots used to give the audience a general impression of the places she goes. Little detail can be seen in these scenes which corresponds to the insignificance of these places to Katniss. The audience witnesses the consequences of these changes but to everyone else, they are unable to see this because of the defensive stoic mask she wears. In conclusion, the protagonists in Shoe Horn Sonata and the Hunger Games have survived horrors unimaginable to us and through distinctively visual techniques such as , photographs, cinematic techniques and symbols, we are able to grasp a small idea of what they have endured on their journey. Therefore, thus despite common circumstances being the catalyst for friendship in times of war, strife and horror they are able to triumph over their circumstances because of the sustenance that this unexpected friendship provides them.

Will SAT Prep Help Me in Other Subjects

Will SAT Prep Help Me in Other Subjects SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips A lot of students wonder: does SAT prep help with anything else in life? In this article, a real SAT instructor gives her view on the topic. Most people look at education like a textbook: you read information, you absorb it, you move it around and you solve problems with it. But the best, most dynamic education is interdisciplinaryit combines multiple subjects that overlap or intersect, because that’s how the real world is. You can’t do science without math, and you can’t write a history paper without English. Along those same lines, you can’t get better at taking the SAT without learning something about the skills it tests and why it tests them. And yes, that can help you in the rest of your schoolworkif you prep the right way. The SAT loves to test alternate meanings of wordsthe less-common second meaning of the adjective â€Å"fair,† for example, which means pleasant (weather, for example, can be fair). SAT prep is a great way to learn these second meaningsnot just for the test, but so you’ll know what people mean when they say â€Å"fair-weather friend.† For example, let’s say you are prepping with the following Reading Comprehension question: The widow, searching for a craft store, passed dozens of storefronts as she walked. She had a very complicated and specific project in mind for her daughter, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to realize it without a special accessory for her sewing machine. In the passage above, â€Å"realize† most nearly means {A} understand {B} discover {C} accomplish {D} determine {E} earn If this question were on the SAT, you’d have very little chance of learning from itthe stress is too great. But in prep, you have a moment to think about it. Does the widow need to â€Å"understand† her project? No, that doesn’t make any sense, she thought of it. For her to â€Å"discover† the project makes even less sense. Does she need to â€Å"accomplish† the project? Yesdon’t eliminate {C}. To â€Å"determine† a project doesn’t make sense, nor does â€Å"earn.† So if you didn’t know that realize can mean accomplishliterally, to make realyour SAT prep has just given you a little boost in your understanding of the English language. Here at PrepScholar, we’ve constantly workingyes, right this minuteto improve the real-life applicability of our materials, both for the student’s benefit and for the advantage it gives the learning process itself. When ideas are more connected to other ideas, we remember them more readily. Thus, SAT prep that’s connected to the real world and other subjects is both more effective and more fun. Stay tuned to PrepScholar’s ongoing pedagogy innovations by subscribing to the blog! And if you found this interesting or helpful, sign up to the right to stay updated on the topics we think SAT preppers and their parents might find useful. Next Up: What the New SAT Means for You Or, get our FREE Ebook below: Get Your Free Resource Here Get a Free Guide Here

Combustion Definition in Chemistry

Combustion Definition in Chemistry Combustion is a chemical reaction that occurs between a fuel and an oxidizing agent that produces energy, usually in the form of heat and light. Combustion is considered an exergonic or exothermic chemical reaction. It is also known as burning. Combustion is considered to be one of the first chemical reactions intentionally controlled by humans. The reason combustion releases heat is because the double bond between oxygen atoms in O2 are weaker than the single bonds or other double bonds. So, although energy is absorbed in the reaction, it is released when the stronger bonds are formed to make carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). While the fuel plays a role in the energy of the reaction, its minor in comparison because the chemical bonds in the fuel are comparable to the energy of the bonds in the products. Mechanics Combustion occurs when a fuel and an oxidant react to form oxidized products. Typically, energy must be supplied to initiate the reaction. Once combustion starts, the released heat can make combustion self-sustaining. For example, consider a wood fire. Wood in the presence of oxygen in air does not undergo spontaneous combustion. Energy must be supplied, as from a lit match or exposure to heat. When the activation energy for the reaction is available, the cellulose (a carbohydrate) in wood reacts with oxygen in air to produce heat, light, smoke, ash, carbon dioxide, water, and other gases. The heat from the fire allows the reaction to proceed until the fire becomes too cool or the fuel or oxygen is exhausted. Example Reactions A simple example of a combustion reaction is the reaction between hydrogen gas and oxygen gas to produce water vapor: 2H2(g) O2(g) → 2H2O(g) A more familiar type of combustion reaction is the combustion of methane (a hydrocarbon) to produce carbon dioxide and water: CH4 2O2 → CO2 2H2O which leads to one general form of a combustion reaction: hydrocarbon oxygen → carbon dioxide and water Oxidants The oxidation reaction may be thought of in terms of electron transfer rather than the element oxygen. Chemists recognize several fuels capable of acting as oxidants for combustion. These include pure oxygen and also chlorine, fluorine, nitrous oxide, nitric acid, and chlorine trifluoride. For example, hydrogen gas burns, releasing heat and light, when reacted with chlorine to produce hydrogen chloride. Catalysis Combustion isnt usually a catalyzed reaction, but platinum or vanadium may act as catalysts. Complete Versus Incomplete Combustion Combustion is said to be complete when the reaction produces a minimal number of products. For example, if methane reacts with oxygen and only produces carbon dioxide and water, the process is complete combustion. Incomplete combustion occurs when there is insufficient oxygen for the fuel to convert completely to carbon dioxide and water. Incomplete oxidation of a fuel may also occur. It also results when pyrolysis occurs prior to combustion, as is the case with most fuels. In pyrolysis, organic matter undergoes thermal decomposition at high temperature without reacting with oxygen. Incomplete combustion may yield many additional products, including char, carbon monoxide, and acetaldehyde.

High Noon at Alpha Mills Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

High Noon at Alpha Mills Case - Essay Example Ever since its formation, the company has been recruiting top management staff from England and other UK countries with the majority of its employees being retired military and police personnel (Woods, 2009). A laborer by the name Mr. Ang Siow Lee first joined the company in 1965 at a tender age of 15 years where he rose to become the senior non-managerial staff in the company. Mr. Ang is a senior production supervisor at the company whereby his only superior is the mill manager and he has two junior supervisors to assist him in his work. The company has three shifts of 25 employees where each supervisor takes charge of one shift. As a manager, Mr. Ang is responsible for quite a number of tasks, which he carries out in the company. He oversees smooth daily operations at the company. Moreover, he is responsible for coordinating all the activities of all the three shifts of the company with his two supervisors. He also prepare the daily pro-action reports, and deals with short term human resource management matters as well as minor issues related with discipline in the company. Mr. Ang is also responsible for setting and evaluation of short-term performances that are targets for the compan y’s three shifts of employees (Springett, 2004). Mr. Ang also acts as an assistant for the manager, which means that he is responsible for all matters before they can send to the manager. In most cases, Mr. Ang successfully evaluates these issues and solves them before reaching the manager. To achieve this success, Mr. Ang has developed an efficient way of handling matters related to the company. In 1999, the palm oil industry in Malaysia faced very many challenges in which Mr. Ang was to play a part to stabilize the situation at Alpha Plantations Sdn. Bhp. The company experienced a plunge in the price of oil due to oversupply, where the prices of oil reduced to