What Is Irony

Example:

• If you go sightseeing anywhere in the world today, you will see crowds of people who are so busy taking cell-phone pictures of themselves in front of the sight that they don’t actually look at what they came to see with their own eyes. This is ironic, specifically, situational irony. This one situation has two opposing meanings that contradict expectations:
• (1) Going to see a sight and prove that you were there
• (2) Not enjoying the thing you went to see.
• A popular visual representation of irony shows a seagull sitting on top of a “no seagulls” sign. The meaning of the sign is that seagulls are not allowed in the area. The seagull sitting on the sign not only contradicts it, but calls attention to the absurdity of trying to dictate where seagulls may or may not go, which makes us laugh.
• In conversation, people often use verbal irony to express humour, affection, or emotion, by saying the opposite of what they mean to somebody who is expected to recognize the irony. “I hate you” can mean “I love you”—but only if the person you’re saying it to already knows that!