Irony Essays

Originally a novel, written by W. Sommerset Maugham, “The Razor’s Edge” is the story of an American man named Larry, who undergoes a transformation as he witnesses the changes in the world and his own life. Larry experiences disillusionment due to World War I, seeks refuge in France to “find …

South African writer Alex La Guma was an active member of his country’s non-white liberation movement. One of the 156 people accused in the Treason Trial of 1956, La Guma wrote his first book, “A Walk in the Night and Other Stories”, in 1962 (Wade 15). “The Lemon Orchard,” a …

The irony cannot be missed in Emily Dickenson’s poem “Tell the Truth But Tell it Slant”. This poem is read like a church hymn, advising the reader to not exactly tell the blunt truth if asked. Thus, in the cadence of very familiar moving religious tunes, Dickinson implores one to …

Illusion is often mistaken for reality. Poet Margaret Atwood’s poems, “This is a Photograph of Me” and “Morning in the Burned House” can be compared in terms of writing style, and theme. In “This is a Photograph of Me” Atwood writes using a combination of contrasting, irony, and symbolism, while …

In dramatic irony, the audience is more aware of the character’s situation than the character himself. It involves a naive hero whose understanding of his surroundings is opposed to what is truly happening to him or her. What makes this ironic is that the author is creating a deluded main …

In John Updikes excerpt of The First Kiss, Updike uses metaphors and other rhetorical devices to convey the audiences attitude of the opening season baseball game. The audiences clearly have great interest of the environment around them as they optimistically keep their eyes glued to the players. The way that …

In Owen?s poem, ?Strange Meeting,? the theme of war is heavily emphasized, as the poet expresses complete disgust concerning the nature of war. Yet, rather than describing the violence of war in the battlefield, the poet chooses a most unconventional route to attack war by instead placing the soldiers in …

With close reference to the chracters’ use of language, analyse how the relationship between Benedick and Beatrice moves from “merry war” to “honourable marriage”. Is this a marriage that will last, do you think? In Much Ado About Nothing we see “Signor Mountanto” and “Lady Disdain” move from a “skirmish …

Trevor Nunn’s adaptation of “Twelfth Night” is a masterpiece of insight and nuance. Instead of simply playing this gender-bending comedy of mistaken identity, the director highlights the dark undertones of the plot which show surprising depth. There are some alterations from the original text, but those who are less familiar …

In Anne Sexton’s “Cinderella” one may ponder what the purpose and tone is. Anne Sexton uses a strong satiric and humorous undertone when poking fun at marriage. The use of dark humor adds life and body to the poem. Anne Sexton’s placement of witty understatements is impeccable and allows the …