Tropes & Figures
Irony
Irony is a trope in which the true sense of an utterance is the opposite of what is literally expressed: words of praise convey censure, and apparent agreement mockery ("what a hero!" of a coward). Irony rests on the contrast between the direct meaning of the words and the subtext revealed by intonation, situation or context. As a stylistic device, irony expresses a critical-mocking attitude disguised as approval. More broadly, irony is understood as a type of world-view and an aesthetic category (Romantic irony, the irony of fate), and its sharpened, biting form is called sarcasm. Irony is a powerful means of satire and humour that demands perceptiveness from the reader to recognise the hidden authorial meaning, often opposite to the outward one.
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Meaning, origins and distinction — side by side.
Distinction
Kinship by principle, difference by degree. Irony is a subtle trope where the true sense is OPPOSITE to the literal, and the mockery is hidden, merely hinting ("what a hero!" of a coward). Sarcasm is the higher, caustic degree of irony: it does not conceal but SHARPENS the negative evaluation, combining sharpness of thought with anger, contempt or bitterness. Irony smiles; sarcasm brands.
