Irony, also known as sarcasm, is a rhetorical figure that implies, in a serious phrase with a mocking tone, the opposite of what is said. It is through the tone used when saying it and the gestures that are applied, which makes us know that we are facing an irony, although a certain situation can also explain the use of sarcasm.
This is a fine and delicate way to make fun of something or someone, you must be careful, since an irony is easy to misinterpret by those who do not understand it and can even be taken as textual truth.
The irony can be spontaneous or intentional, generated accidentally or voluntarily by the one who puts together your message. According to what the language specialists maintain, irony could be described as that message that affirms something on its surface that is not equal to what that same message wants to mean underneath it.
Types of irony that can be used in different circumstances. In this sense, verbal irony is undoubtedly the best known and the easiest to identify. This type of irony is the one that is expressed in language and the one that most of the time is intentional to mark a certain type of thought. A clear expression of irony is to show a supposed joy that hides annoyance in a certain situation, for example when it is said "this is great!" and an attempt is made to refer to the bad luck or discomfort that this circumstance generates in the person.
Then there is also situational irony, that which is established between what is said and what is done. For example, a clear case of situational irony is when a person says "I want to dedicate myself to art" and then ends up working in an administrative or office position.
It can vary widely in the degree of concealment, finesse, or obviousness, as well as in the degree of intellectual complexity. It depends on a certain context for which it is prepared or in which it is improvised. The intention to be ironic is usually evident when it is oral in tone, but it can also be hidden behind a neutral tone. In any case, if it causes the smile of third parties, it is because they have a certain reference or information that underlies the irony used, and this establishes a certain complicity.
