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Addressee irony

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Irony directed specifically at the poem’s addressee, often through feigned praise or blame

Detailed Definition
Addressee irony occurs when a poem’s speaker says something to a listener that appears sincere on the surface but carries a deeper, often contradictory meaning understood by the reader or implied context; this technique creates tension between what is said and what is meant, as seen in dramatic monologues where the addressee remains unaware of the speaker’s true intent or sarcasm.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Alexander Pope’s “Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot,” the speaker addresses a flatterer with exaggerated praise that clearly mocks him: “Who would not praise Patroclus for his sense?”; In John Donne’s “The Sun Rising,” the speaker sarcastically addresses the sun as a “busy old fool,” undermining its authority through feigned irritation; In Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy,” the vocative “Daddy” carries heavy irony, as the addressee is both idealized and condemned; In W.H. Auden’s “The Unknown Citizen,” the bureaucratic addressee is praised for conformity, but the poem ironically critiques societal control.
Additional Notes
Addressee irony occurs when the speaker says something to a listener that means the opposite of its literal sense, often relying on tone or context; it is common in dramatic monologues and satirical poetry; distinguish it from general verbal irony by its direct targeting of the addressee.
Also Known As
Vocative irony Irony of address Listener-directed irony
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