In “Siren Song,” a free verse poem by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, we learn about the actions of sirens from their perspective. The poet does an amazing job using literary devices to prove the main points of the poem. Sirens are typically depicted as evil figures who want to cause harm to others, but Atwood sets out to prove that sirens may or may not be what they are portrayed to be, using literary devices along the way. In the beginning, we see Atwood describing the work of a siren. She then convinces the reader that she does not enjoy deceiving people and causing their deaths. She uses many literary devices in this poem, but the most obvious is irony. An example of irony in the poem is when the siren speaks about “the song that causes …show more content…
She also describes the song as “a cry for help” and adds, “Help me” (24). These quotes show that the siren tries to trick the reader into helping her. When they believe her, she will then kill them. She is using the excuse of not liking what she does to get people to agree with her. The siren is very deceptive and will do anything to lure people into her traps, this is shown by the use of irony in the poem. As we near the end of the poem, the siren uses repetition so the person will sympathize with her and fall for her tricks. She says she needs help, and “only you, only you can” (23) help her. She states this twice to lure and consequently cause the demise of the people who fall for her ploy. Another example of repetition in the poem is when the siren says she has a secret. She adds that she tells the secret, “to you, only to you” (20) She does this to make the person she is talking to feel bad for her. She wants to gain people’s sympathy, so she uses repetition. Atwood effectively uses literary devices to persuade the reader to believe the siren. The use of repetition emphasizes what the siren is saying and helps persuade. Irony is also used very effectively in this
Irony make things appear to be what it is not. Flannery O’Connor and Zora Neale Hurston are two ironic authors in literature. O’Connor was a devout Roman Catholic, with a southern upbringing (Whitt); whereas “Hurston is a disciple of the greatest dead white European male, authors, a connoisseur of macho braggadocio, and a shamelessly conservative Republican who scorned victimism and leftist conformism (Sailer). Both O’Connor and Hurston use irony in their short stories; however, they use it in significantly similar ways.
“Irony trumps everything”. Thomas C. Foster made this argument in “How to Read Literature like a Professor”, explaining that when an author uses irony in their literary work, standard conventions on interpreting themes are temporarily disregarded (Foster 252). This effect on the reader allows for a different interpretation of the text to occur because the novel's events are contradictory to what one expects. The proficient use of irony in the novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale,” by Margaret Atwood to show the inner desires of Offred, Serena Joy, and the Commander.
“The supreme irony of life is that hardly anyone gets out of it alive.” -Robert A. Heinlein. In the short story, “The Possibility of Evil”, the author Shirley Jackson uses irony to develop the traits of the protagonist, Miss Strangeworth, in her small hometown. Throughout the story, there are many examples of irony as Miss Strangeworth goes through her normal day. Irony is an engaging literary device used by authors to expose underlying intentions which become critical to the development of the plot.
The purpose of this irony is to shock the reader, since ironic things are by definition unexpected, it works well as a twist in the story.
Margaret Atwood uses literary techniques to reveal the theme of her poem, “Siren Song”. One literary technique used in the poem is allusion. An allusion is something that is hinted at but not explicitly mentioned. ….”the song nobody knows because anyone who has heard it is dead,”... Evidence from line 7 to line 9.
1. Irony is a useful device for giving stories many unexpected twists and turns. In Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," irony is used very effectively in her story. Situational irony is used to show the reader what is assumed to happen sometimes doesn't. Dramatic irony is used to hint to the reader something is happening to the characters in the story that they do not know about. Irony is used throughout Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" through the use of situational irony and the use of dramatic irony.
“Fear me,love me,do as I say,I’ll be your slave” says Jareth The Goblin King from the Labyrinth. By using irony, the author of a story can create a surprising events. Authors use multiple kinds of irony to make stories more surprising.
The first example of irony is when the enemies become good friends and welcomed guests. The fallen tree trunk symbolizes their captivation, which forces them to become friends. The imagery of the mountains and forest that Saki describes also adds to the irony, as their friendship is different from the harsh environment. The second example of irony is when wolves show up instead of what they thought were humans. The symbolism of their shouts and the tree trunk show how their friendship was actually meaningless, as their chances of surviving the encounter with the wolves is slim. The imagery of the now gloomy forest help to show irony, as the reader can now anticipate the friendship ending poorly, which is exemplified through the wolves arriving. Thus, the irony, and the symbolism and imagery used to show the irony, are all done as a means to create more suspense to effectively establish a more exciting
Irony can be defined as expressing the opposite of what is meant. This is a great technique of the sense of humor and sarcasm used in the proposal. and in the Swift language. One of the voices that are present throughout the story is that of irony. The snares are a snare.
The setting of the poem is a day at the ocean with the family that goes terribly awry. This could be considered an example of irony, in that one would normally view a day at the beach as a happy and carefree time. In “Feared Drowned,” Olds paints a very different scenario, using dark imagery to create the setting: “…suit black as seaweed / Rocks sticks out near shore like heads.” The poem illuminates moments of intense fear, anxiety and the element of a foreseen sense of doom. Written as a direct, free-style verse using the first-person narrative, the poem opens with the narrator suspecting that her husband may have drowned. When Olds writes in her opening line: “Suddenly nobody knows where you are,” this signals to the reader that we are with the narrator as she makes this fearful discovery.
Phrases such as “her voice glowing and singing” (14) and “her voice sang” (15) crop up all throughout the book in relation to Daisy’s voice. This repetition of “singing, sang” alludes to the mythological sirens who lured men to their deaths with their
Irony is the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning. This rhetorical device is often used many times in literature and a very significant device. One example of irony occurs at the end. In the final chapter, was setting the jungle into fire, in order to smoke Ralph out. The fire, at the beginning of the book, was used for two things: it enabled the kids from signal a ship for a rescue, it helped cook meat, and it helped them keep warm.
An example of irony right off the bat is Fortunato’s name. We, as the readers, know Fortunato’s fate. His name translates to “fortunate”, but we know that isn’t the case. When Fortunato states that his “cough’s a mere nothing; it will not kill [him],” we know that, that is an example of dramatic irony. It won’t be the cough that kills him. It’ll be Montresor, whose name is revealed closer to the end of the short story. The suspense leading up to the death of Fortunato helps create the dark and ominous tone because we are waiting for the story to unfold since we do not know when Montresor plans on killing Fortunato, yet alone know how he will do so. Poe uses imagery and vocabulary to allow the readers to visualize the setting and become more engaged with the story. One scene where this can be seen is when the wall of the wine cellar is being described as having “long walls of piled skeletons, with casks and puncheons intermingling.” The humorous tone is created through the use of imagery. Fortunato is described as wearing a motley, which is a jester suit, with a “conical cap and bells” on his head to a carnival. This creates a humorous tone because Fortunato is dressed foolishly which ties in with his character since he doesn’t see his death coming. Another use of irony that aids in the humorous, but ominous tone is when Fortunato toasts to the “buried that repose around us,” not
Irony is an effective way for a poem, playwright or author to lighten an otherwise dark or cryptic story while simultaneously putting emphasis the story’s dark elements; in its obvious absence, the darkness of the story becomes more apparent. This is effective in many poems, such “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe, which is about the death of a childhood lover. The persona, assumed to be male, highlights the youth of the his lover, Annabel Lee, referring to her as “this maiden” (Poe line 3) and “a child” (line 7) to underline the fact that she died too young and too soon. He blames this on the angels, who “coveted” (line 12) them and their love. Poe uses irony to contrast, and, therefore, puts emphasis on, the negative circumstances surrounding Annabel Lee’s death by retelling the events in an idyllic tone. Poe’s irony is successful due to his employment of diction and rhyme, which cause the poem to emulate the sing-song style of a nursery rhyme.
Irony is a useful device for giving stories many unexpected twists and turns. In Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," irony is used as an effective literary device. Situational irony is used to show the reader that what is expected to happen sometimes doesn't. Dramatic irony is used to clue the reader in on something that is happening that the characters in the story do not know about. Irony is used throughout Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" through the use of situational irony and the use of dramatic irony.