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Definition of Irony
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this seems like a loose definition... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how... read full definition
Irony
Explanation and Analysis—All-Knowing Reader:
Dramatic irony creates tension when Rip returns to town after his long nap in the Catskills:
The appearance of Rip, with his long, grizzled beard, his rusty fowling piece, his uncouth dress, and an army of women and children at his heels, soon attracted the attention of the tavern politicians [...] The orator bustled up to him and, drawing him partly aside, inquired “on which side he voted?” Rip stared in vacant stupidity.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—An Epic Nap:
In a twist of situational irony, Rip's homecoming as a newly-minted folk hero is a big let-down:
Unlock with LitCharts A+It was with some difficulty that he found the way to his own house, which he approached with silent awe, expecting every moment to hear the shrill voice of Dame Van Winkle. He found the house gone to decay[.]
Related Themes:
