Imagery in Mac Flecknoe

Select an ironic literary work and explain the multivocal nature of the irony in the work.

This can be seen throughout the whole text and adds to its wittiness and mystery. The main weapon of the satirist is verbal irony, a figure of speech where words are used to mock a person or thing by conveying a meaning that is the reverse of what the words say. This is evident throughout the entire piece and begins when he proposes his own thoughts on how to conquer the problem of a large amount of poor, starving and

Irony is one of the most powerful elements of figurative language. It creates a feeling of foreshadowing and sometimes humor in a rather unique way. Irony is a way of telling a story in that something happens that seems the opposite of what one would think. There are plenty of examples of the three types of irony in Night by Elie Wiesel. This essay will discuss the times verbal, situational, and dramatic irony were used in Night.

     This essay by Jeff Jacoby illustrates an authors use of ironic sarcasm otherwise known as satire to defend and illustrate his platform on his position. Jacoby uses in this essay verbal irony (persuasion in the form of ridicule). In the irony of this sort there is a contrast between what is said and what is meant.

Satire is a common literary device used among authors and poets to indirectly criticize the stupidity and vices of a specific person or group of people. Satirical works typically involve tools of satire, such as symbolic characters, symbolism, and irony, to simplify the understanding of who this “satirical target” is. In “The Unknown Citizen” by W. H. Auden and James Michie’s “Dooley Is a Traitor,” symbolic characters, symbolism, and irony are all used to indirectly criticize the target of each satirical work.

“A Good Man is Hard to Find”: Comparing Flannery O’Connor’s Literary Technique to Grotesque Medieval Literature

The playwright of Arden uses irony, as seen in the passage, “My saving husband hoards up bags of gold/ To make our children rich” (Arden I. 220-1). The irony represented in this statement is magnified as it was Alice who claims that her husband saving money for their next generation, yet she is

against the standard poets to say the least, “I wanted to break the linearity of poetic text — to mess with it, if you will.” (poetryfoundation.org) He was not born into the wealthiest of families and found himself unable to pay for education, yet he has pushed boundaries for many

When one travels, it is easy to observe differences in social norms from country to country. One may also observe differences within a country, for example, the social norms of a small town or village versus those of a large metropolis. Differences in social norms can also be observed in literature. This essay will focus on two dramatic monologues, which were written by poets who lived in England during the same period. Robert Browning published My last Duchess in 1842, the same year that Alfred Tennyson published Ulysses. Both poets lived in England during the Victorian era. However, by examining characters from their poetry, namely Alfonso in My Last Duchess and Odysseus in Ulysses, we can see that they express opposite norms concerning

Despite the differences in context, a comparative study of the poetry of John Donne and Margaret Edson’s play, ‘W;t’, is essential for a more complete understanding of the values and ideas presented in ‘W;t’. Discuss this with close reference to both texts.

During the Age of Enlightenment, people began believing in and relying upon rational thought instead of religious dogma to explain the world. This newfound emphasis on rationality promoted a breadth of freedom in speech that was previously unknown, a fact which was utilized by philosophers such as John Locke, Rousseau, and Sir Isaac Newton. In addition, the Age of Enlightenment produced famous writers who didn’t agree with the irrational politics and old traditions of their respective countries, and instead relied upon wit and satire to expose the corruption and poor human condition existing around them. These Enlightenment writers use irony in their satires to get their interpretations regarding the human condition across.

In the poem he veers from any pattern and words like, "abject louse," and "maggot," followed his reputation of having an angry diction. His work is completely impulsive which was seen as exotic and passionate, which certainly reflected the period. In his poetry he was said by Norton to stay away from, "making any sense or reason," (Saintsbury, 50).

Auden in this poem compares human beings to stars. This comparison can be criticised as being very unfair as stars are both literally and metaphorically above humans. This is evident upon reading “…That for all they care, I can go to hell.” The fact that he used objects of such importance allows readers to appreciate

During the 16th Century, English poetry was dominated and institutionalised by the Court. Because it 'excited an intensity that indicates a rare concentration of power and cultural dominance,' the Court was primarily responsible for the popularity of the poets who emerged from it. Sir Thomas Wyatt, one of a multitude of the so-called 'Court poets' of this time period, not only changed the way his society saw poetry through his adaptations of the Petrarchan Sonnet, but also obscurely attempted to recreate the culture norm through his influence. Though much of his poems are merely translations of Petrarch's, these, in addition to his other poetry, are satirical by at least a cultural approach.

John Dryden was an influential poet, literary critic, translator, and more importantly a playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England during the 16th century. His popularity grew to such an extent that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden. Dryden was the probably the most dominant literary figure and influence of his age. Walter Scott often referred to him as "Glorious John”. He was also made Poet Laureate in 1667. After the Restoration, Dryden quickly established himself as the leading poet and literary critic of his day and he transferred his allegiances to the new government.