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ironic rhyme

Rhyme
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

A rhyme designed to create humorous contrast or irony between paired words

Detailed Definition
Ironic rhyme pairs words that sound alike but contrast sharply in meaning, creating dissonance between sonic harmony and semantic tension; this technique underscores hypocrisy, absurdity, or tragic contradiction, as when “love” rhymes with “dove” in a poem about betrayal.
Example
Example in poetry:
Alexander Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock” uses ironic rhyme like “pride” with “died” to mock epic conventions; W.H. Auden’s “The Unknown Citizen” rhymes “free” with “statistics” to undercut bureaucratic praise; Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy” employs ironic rhyme: “Jew” with “through” to expose traumatic associations; Contemporary poet A.E. Stallings rhymes “like” with Greek “πολύ” (poly) in “Sestina: Like” for linguistic irony; Ogden Nash’s light verse uses jarring ironic rhymes like “children” with “bewilderin’” to satirize parenting; Tracy K. Smith’s “The United States Welcomes You” uses ironic rhyme between “mouths” and “house” to frame hospitality as threat.
Additional Notes
ironic rhyme: A rhyme pair where the words' meanings create an unexpected, humorous, or bitter contrast when juxtaposed by the rhyme (e.g., rhyming beauty with duty in a cynical context); enhances thematic subtlety.
Also Known As
mock rhyme sardonic rhyme ironic echo Censure rhyme
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