5.4 Irony, Hyperbole & Sound

Three ironies

Verbal irony says the opposite of what is meant (often sarcasm). Situational irony is an outcome opposite to expectation. Dramatic irony occurs when readers know something a character does not, creating tension.

Overstatement and understatement

Hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration ('I've told you a million times'); understatement deliberately downplays ('just a scratch' for a deep wound). Both create emphasis or irony.

Sound devices

Alliteration repeats initial consonant sounds; assonance repeats vowel sounds; onomatopoeia names a sound by imitating it ('buzz'). Sound reinforces mood, emphasis, and musicality.

Key terms

Verbal irony

Saying the opposite of what is meant.

Situational irony

An outcome opposite to what was expected.

Dramatic irony

The audience knows something a character does not.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration for effect.

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds.

Try an AP-style question

What type of irony is this?

1. Verbal
2. Dramatic
3. Socratic
4. Situational