Ernest Hemingway quotes. Irony. A stop sign ironically defaced with a plea not to deface stop signs. Irony (from Ancient Greek εἰρωνεία (eirōneía), meaning "dissimulation, feigned ignorance"[1]), in its broadest sense, is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or event characterized by an incongruity, or contrast, between what the expectations of a situation are and what is really the case, with a third element, that defines that what is really the case is ironic because of the situation that led to it. The term may be further defined into several categories, among which are: verbal, dramatic, and situational.
Verbal, dramatic, and situational irony are often used for emphasis in the assertion of a truth. The ironic form of simile, used in sarcasm, and some forms of litotes can emphasize one's meaning by the deliberate use of language which states the opposite of the truth, denies the contrary of the truth, or drastically and obviously understates a factual connection.[2] Definitions Origin of the term Types of irony. Aphorism. An aphorism is an original thought, spoken or written in a laconic (concise) and memorable form.[1] Aphorism literally means a "distinction" or "definition". The term was first used in the Aphorisms of Hippocrates. The oft-cited first sentence of this work (see Ars longa, vita brevis) is: Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience deceptive, judgment difficult.
The term was later applied to maxims of physical science, then statements of all kinds of philosophical, moral, or literary principles. In modern usage an aphorism is generally understood to be a concise statement containing a subjective truth or observation cleverly and pithily written. Definition[edit] 1. a concise statement of a principle 2. a terse formulation of a truth or sentiment Literature[edit] Two influential collections of aphorisms published in the twentieth century were The Uncombed Thoughts by Stanislaw Jerzy Lec (in Polish), and Itch of Wisdom by Mikhail Turovsky (in Russian and English).[2] Society[edit]
Parable. Some scholars of the canonical gospels and the New Testament apply the term "parable" only to the parables of Jesus,[2][3] though that is not a common restriction of the term. Parables such as "The Prodigal Son" are central to Jesus' teaching method in both the canonical narratives and the apocrypha. Etymology[edit] The word parable comes from the Greek παραβολή (parabolē), meaning "comparison, illustration, analogy. "[4] It was the name given by Greek rhetoricians to an illustration in the form of a brief fictional narrative. History[edit] Parables also appear in Islam.
Modern parables also exist. Characteristics[edit] A parable often involves a character who faces a moral dilemma or one who makes a bad decision and then suffers the unintended consequences. The defining characteristic of the parable is the presence of a subtext suggesting how a person should behave or what he should believe. The allegory is a more general narrative type; it also employs metaphor. Jesus' parables[edit]