KEY TERM!
IRONY
Irony is an important way of writing in literature being one of very many 'literary devices' available to writers whose wish is to deepen our engagement with a text. It is especially common in poetry but finds its way into all forms of writing.

Irony allows a writer to suggest more than the surface meaning of their words - it shapes meaning in subtle ways and helps create 'layers of meaning'. When using irony a writer creates a kind of 'shared understanding' between the speaker/writer and listener/reader who both recognise that what is said or written is not quite what is meant; it's as if a 'gap' exists between the surface meaning of the words used and the deeper meaning intended.

In its most obvious and some would say crude form, irony is sarcasm. Here the intended meaning is obviously indicated by the use of a snide or cutting tone of voice, one that immediately suggests that a compliment given is meant instead as a criticism. But literary irony is far more subtle - indeed it requires a close awareness of the text sometimes to appreciate its presence, hence noticing it and discussing it generally gains high marks in essays and exams.

Why do writers use irony so subtly? Well - they know that readers do not like to be lectured: irony allows meanings to surface unobtrusively, leaving the reader to ponder on what is meant thus increasing the level of engagement with the text. Irony creates a great closeness to a text and a feeling of satisfaction when the irony is recognised and understood.

Dramatic irony is a particular kind of irony used on the stage or screen. It occurs when the audience knows more about a character than the character on stage does. Hence, in a childhood pantomime, you want to call to 'Jack' that 'the giant' is behind him - and you do! But in a play (or on TV), you simply cannot call out - yet the involvement you feel with the play is intense at that moment: you almost become a conspirator to the action.