Irony is when something is just the opposite of what is expected and is not an arrangement of two opposing words (Read oxymoron)
Difference between paradox and oxymoron –
Paradox is a statement of contradiction that can be true. While oxymoron is just a pairing of two opposite words to enhance reader experience.
Example of a paradox – ‘Standing is more tiring than walking.’ Although people usually consider walking as more tiring but this statement when applied in real life can prove to be true.
Difference between Paradox and Irony –
Both irony and paradox involve contrast or contradiction.
Irony is when there’s a difference in –
- Expression and literal or apparent and intended meaning of the words (verbal irony)
- Expectation and reality (situational irony)
- difference in knowledge of audience and characters. (dramatic irony)
Paradox is where there’s contradiction in –
The statement itself or when the statement is counterintuitive.
For example, drinking a lot of water can make you thirsty. This statement is irresolvable and can be true. It is counter-intuitive and self-contradictory.
Also, ‘Less is more.’ This statement is self-contradictory but it is true that when people have less, they value it more!
Examples –
Irony due to Difference in expression of words and their literal meaning – (when apparent and intended meanings are different) –
The Unauthorized Autobiography (By Lemony Snicket)
“Today was a very cold and bitter day, as cold and bitter as a cup of hot chocolate; if the cup of hot chocolate had vinegar added to it and were placed in a refrigerator for several hours.”
In the first line the analogy seems awkward. It seems contradictory to the established facts – a cup of hot chocolate cannot be cold and bitter. But Snicket goes on to put it in perspective and we realise it was a humorous and ironical way (for which he is famous) of describing the day.
In the poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, written by Samuel Coleridge, Coleridge wrote:
“Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.”
This is an example of situational irony giving the piece a dramatic effect.
Irony is also present when one of the stakeholders in the occurrence of an event possesses more knowledge about it than the other. It is required to dig deeper on the part of the reader to get the intended message as a witness.
For example, when there’s a difference in the knowledge of audience and that of the character in a story (the character doesn’t know about the murder, the audience does), there’s a DRAMATIC irony.
Paradox involves irresolvable contradiction in a sentence.
Oscar Wilde is considered to be the master of paradoxes. His famous paradoxical usage goes – “I can resist everything except temptation”. When you can resist everything except temptation, you cannot really resist anything! That’s quite a paradox.
When I say – “I always lie.” Is this a paradox, irony or oxymoron?
Find the answer Here – Liar’s Paradox ..:)