Irony

From time to time I look up words online to make sure I am making proper usage of the English language in my blog. I have always been a word hound. As a child I would pull out from the stack of magazines my mother's Readers Digests and read "word power". When I got to junior and senior high, I practiced my words within great literary dissertations on The Iceman Cometh, Ethan Frome, McTeague and MacBeth.

After spending a few years trying to learn English words in German, and German words in German, I decided to give up my battle with the nuances of a foreign language, and learn the words I don't know within my own language.

So today's word was irony: the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning, or an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.

I learned that there are different kind of ironies.
Socratic irony which is pretended ignorance in discussion, and dramatic irony which is irony that is inherent in speeches or a situation of a drama and is understood by the audience but not grasped by the characters in the play.

So isn't it ironic that the McCain and Pain (oops, forgot the l) are accusing Obama of "pal-ing around with a terrorist, while a few days ago Al Qauda just gave McCain their endorsement.

The reasoning why---- is frightening - read the full N.Y. Times article - click HERE.)



And a week away, the future of the world plays out.

Patti o Webster