Comic Devices
Verbal Irony – What is said/written is the opposite of the meaning. When caustic or harsh, can be sarcasm.
Example: "So anyway I feel terrible." Tri-Cities and Fabio Have Ups and Downs, Dave Barry, page 1, line 72.
Function: In this article, and the one before it, the author spent the whole time insulting and making fun of the Tri-Cities. Then, here, he admits feeling bad. He doesn’t mean this at all – he feels the complete opposite. He then returns to mocking the Tri-Cities.
Situational Irony – What happens is the opposite of what is expected. It’s not a coincidence.
Example: "…when you require assistance there is never anyone around." Shopping Madness, Bill Bryson, page 2, line 83.
Function: Most of the time, when in a store, the employees are offering help finding items or showing new sales. But the times that you need help, the author says, it seems like the employees are all gone. If the employees really wanted to help you, you would expect that they would be around when you wanted help.
Dramatic Irony – A character is unaware of the context in which they are speaking. The audience, however, understands the circumstances and situation.
Example: "DID I have the chance to buy the first "Harry Potter" manuscript? Yes. Do I regret it? Not for a second." The Editor’s Tale, John Kenney, page 1, line, 5.
Function: The writer doesn’t regret his decision to pass on the Harry Potter book, one of the most anticipated book of the year. He is oblivious to that the fact that it was probably one of the best books of all time for an editor to choose, and he passed it up. The author was unaware of his mistake, and still thinks that it was a good choice.
Hyperbole – An extreme magnification or exaggeration of actuality. It blows something completely out of proportion for a distorted effect.
Example: "The young man took ten minutes to change the receipt roll…" Shopping Madness, Bill Bryson, page 2, line 116.
Function: The writer is trying to prove the point how slow stores can be. He goes beyond what is reasonable for the comic effect. The article is filled with overstatements like this to catch the reader’s attention.
Understatement – The opposite of a hyperbole. Making something seem much less than what it is. An unexaggertion.
Example: "…it is like saying fish appreciate water" Shopping Madness, Bill Bryson, page 1, line 24.
Function: It’s common knowledge that fish must live in water to stay alive, so to say that they "appreciate" it is underrating the fish’s need. Most of the rest of the article is filled with hyperboles, so the opposite has a neat effect.
Pun – It is the intentional confusion of two homophones where both meanings work. It is sometimes called a play on words.
Example: "…the booming construction behind Columbia Center mall." Tri-Cities and Fabio Have Ups and Downs, Dave Barry, page 1 line 52.
Function: The key word here is booming. The first meaning could be that it is a productive, successful construction area. The other meaning, however, could be that it is a noisy construction area behind the mall. Although, this is a subtler pun, if noticed, can have the same comic effect.
Parody – Known by also as a spin-off or spoof, a parody is an imitation of another’s work, usually in a humorous way to poke fun at the original work. This can be done in television, music, posters, writing, and other media. Usually, for a better effect, a parody makes fun of a famous or well-known piece of work, so the audience has a better chance of recognizing the original.
Example: "Let’s keep our nation free from terror, from sea to glowing sea." Tri-Cities and Fabio Have Ups And Downs, Dave Barry, page 1, line 167.
Function: Starting with, "nation," the writer gets the audience thinking of the country, so that when he says, "from sea to glowing sea," the reader should make the connection to where they’ve heard that before. The parody is of "America, the Beautiful, " in the lines, "from sea to shining sea."
Absurdity – Often in a list, absurdity is the wrong or improper use of examples. They stand out immediately as not in the right place or situation.
Example: "…we don’t know whether the ants are killed, or will mutate again and become agents, or what." High-tech Twinkie War Will Be No Picnic, Dave Barry, page 2, line 24.
Function: The list starts with reasonable examples, and quickly changes to absurdity. It’s possible that the ants will be killed, but that will mutate into agents has nothing to do with any part of the article. The possibilities start logical and feasible, but then there is an absurd example to catch the reader’s attention.
Incongruity – When something happens out of place or it is not in its normal environment. This can also be a person acting out of character.
Example: "Muggers grabbing purses or gold chains. Degenerates whispering lewd romantic overtures to defenseless ladies." If We’re Gonna Have Guns, Let’s Get ‘em Out In the Open – Or Else!, Mike Royko, page 1, line 33.
Function: Degenerates are people who are typically criminal, corrupt people. They wouldn’t be the type to whisper anything romantic, especially an overture, to someone. Their actions would be radically out of place; thus incongruity.
Oxymoron – A short phrase that is contradictory in itself. One part has an opposite meaning from the other.
Example: "…but I distinctly remember the day I signed N. Wizbicki for her manuscript, "Spontaneity and How to Plan for It!" The Editor’s Tale, John Kenney, page 1, line 23.
Function: The oxymoron is in the title, "Spontaneity and How to Plan for It!" The definition of spontaneity is impulsiveness and sudden, often irrational. To plan spontaneity defeats its purpose and meaning.
Allusion – A reference to some other piece of work, an event in history, a person, place, or idea not stated or explained. The reader is expected to know about the allusion, so it is usually a well-known reference.
Example: "…roller-coaster ride, ‘Apollo’s Chariot,’ named for Apollo, the ancient Roman god of motion sickness." Dave Barry, Tri-Cities and Fabio Have Ups and Downs, page 1, line 137.
Function: If you don’t know much about mythology, this joke wouldn’t be funny. The ancient Roman and Greek gods had an affection for certain things, like light, or travelers, or musicians, or war. All of them were fairly general groups, and for mostly noble things. To be the god of motion sickness (which wasn’t identified at the time) was to be the god of a specific, unattractive thing, unlike the way mythology portrayed them.
