Introduction
“ Sarcasm ” , is an look of one ‘s significance by stating the direct antonym of one ‘s ideas in order to be emphasized, amusive, and sarcastic. It can besides be in a state of affairs, event, etc that is desirable in itself but so unexpected or unseasonable that it appears to be intentionally perverse. In Literature, there are three common types of sarcasm ; verbal sarcasm, situational sarcasm and besides dramatic sarcasm. Verbal sarcasm happens when person or the character in the text says something that has an opposite significance. In situational sarcasm, the said state of affairs is different from what common sense indicates it to be. It is normally used to demo unfairness, or even lip services. On the other manus, dramatic sarcasm happens when the fictional character in the narrative says something or does something that he/she believes to be true but readers, with the benefit of hindsight, know that this is non so. In this essay, I am traveling to foreground and discourse the dry dimensions in the two verse forms late discussed in category, viz. Wilfred Owen ‘s “ Anthem for Doomed Youth ” ( 1917 ) and Margaret Atwood ‘s “ Siren Song ” ( 1976 ) .
Wilfred Owen ‘s “ Anthem for Doomed Youth ”
“ Anthem ” negotiations about how immature people die monstrously at war and the besides the effect, on how household and friends react to their decease. War is depicted in the verse form with scenes of ruthless violent death and mass devastation. In add-on, scenes of the soldier ‘s place are demo how sad the life, holding to cognize that the people they know are deceasing at war.
In Owen ‘s “ Anthem ” , this peculiar rhetorical figure has been used several times to represent the pitilessness and wake of war. The presence of sarcasm can be found right at the start of the verse form, which is the rubric itself. “ Anthem ” means a arousal or an uplifting vocal identified with a peculiar group, organic structure, or cause. This is an sarcasm when the word “ anthem ” is used to stand for decease and grieve as anthems are vocals of congratulations, celebratory and devotedness. In this verse form, decease and grieve is illustrated by the hurting and agonies caused by war and the bereavement of relations and close 1s to the deceased. The word “ Anthem ” motivates us to believe deeper and it gives nutrient for idea, on anthem is used alternatively of another word which can right depict the true significance of the verse form? It besides gives a sense of absurdity that war is merely nil but a foolish and selfish act towards world. In fact, “ Requiem ” should be a more suited word used to portray the cardinal subject of this verse form
The phrase “ doomed young person ” seems to propose sarcasm as the word “ doomed ” is frequently associated with devastation and this is exemplified in this verse form, by the decease of lives lost in conflict to protect their state. The word “ young person ” nevertheless, is a symbol of life and frequently related to a bright hereafter. It is dry that young persons are doomed. It magnifies the dismaying thought of guiltless lives lost in conflict for the interest of their state. The combination of the words “ anthem ” , “ doomed ” and “ young person ” farther enhances the message that the verse form is seeking to relay – a plaint for the guiltless immature 1s diing at war and besides the 1s mourning for their decease back at place. When the three words – “ anthem ” , “ doomed ” and “ young person ” are phrased up, it conjures a distinguishable image of how pathetic war is, in that its sole intent is to destruct world.
The other sarcasm found in this verse form is the signifier of the verse form. This verse form is written in a sonnet signifier. “ Anthem ” consists of 14 lines, and two motions demoing two scenes, the battleground in the first stanza and the state of affairs back at place, where the soldiers came from in the 2nd stanza. As we all know, the traditional map of a sonnet is to compose about love. It is dry that the verse form is written in a sonnet signifier when it is touching on war. Possibly there is a intimation of love because immature work forces had love for their state and without vacillation or reserve are willing to give their lives and young person in order to protect their state from invasion. However, in the visible radiation of this context, this is more about love that has gone incorrect as war is pathetic. Though they gave their all, they were merely rewarded with decease and agony, go forthing households, close 1s to confront sorrow and grieve. There is besides a sense of unfairness or sarcasm shown in the verse form whereby the soldiers who perished in the battleground were non given proper funerals with supplications and approvals in the church. Alternatively, “ supplications ” and “ vocals ” are the rifles taking avariciously snaping their lives off and the explosives that likely resulted in them being incapacitated before deceasing. The households and close 1s of the bygone soldiers can merely mourn ; but can ne’er see or pay their last respects as the doomed soldiers are left to decompose at the battleground.
Margaret Atwood ‘s “ Siren Song ”
Sirens are fabulous animals from the Greek mythology. They are in half bird and half human signifier. The myth about Sirens is when they sing and play music, normally by the shore, crewmans who come along will be enchanted by their resistless voices, enticing them. When the crewmans try to follow the vocal to see these fabulous animals, they end up deceasing because they jump overboard and crash on jaggy stones.
In Atwood ‘s “ Siren Song ” , sarcasm can be found in line four to six, stating us that the vocals ( were so enrapturing ) that ( it ) forces work forces to jump overboard in squadrons ( merely to pull near to the Sirens ) even though they see the beached skulls. They know that it ‘s a hazard to leap overboard by merely looking at the skulls on the beach which bespeaking danger. They might merely decease for listening to the Sirens but they could n’t care less because their vocals were so tempting. They know they are traveling to decease, but they still did it, conveying the chief subject of this verse form: the foolishness of work forces. We can see that work forces pictured in this verse form who succumb to enticement and desires autumn to decease and day of reckoning.
The Siren laments that she is non basking herself crouching on the island and singing her lungs out to work forces. She wants to acquire out of her “ bird suit ” . However, at line 21, she entices the crewmans to come closer by shouting for aid. Her call for “ aid ” is merely a prevarication to pull the crewmans ‘ attending so that she can kill them because in the last stanza she admitted that her vocal works all the clip – no work forces can fly from her deathly “ supplications ” and get away decease. Even if they do, they will non retrieve the vocal. It is an sarcasm when the Siren is naming for “ aid ” because her calls are to gull work forces so that they jump over their ships to run into their shaper. In truth, the Sirens do bask vocalizing by the beach and watch work forces decease in jeer.
The following sarcasm is in line 23 and 24, the Siren tells a peculiar crewman that he is the lone 1 that can salvage her as he is alone to increase enticement so that the crewman feels that he is the lone 1 that the Siren needs. On the reverse, she tells that to every crewman she tries to kill. Not to advert in line five, it is mentioned that work forces leap overboard in squadrons Tells us that the crewmans are so enticed that they do n’t even cognize that the Siren is stating each one of them that they are alone in unison. It gives an image of the ship ‘s crew jumping together in unison after they are captivated by the music and voice. In world, adult females are ever pictured as demoiselles in hurt, hence work forces, being the capable 1s are required to salvage them. In my sentiment, the crewmans heard the calls from the Sirens and rushed to assist them non merely because they are enticed, but besides to fulfill their pride that they are able to salvage the maiden ( Sirens ) with a lovely voice. At the terminal of the verse form, the Sirens reveal that even though it ‘s a drilling vocal, it works every clip. In my sentiment, I think the Sirens likely got bored singing the same old vocal to entice work forces, but foolish work forces still ran to them because of enticement.
Decision
In decision the sarcasm component used in both of the verse form has developed deeper degrees of significance in the text. Irony is normally used to prosecute and affect a reader in the text so that readers have to dig farther into the text, arousing them to believe deeper. In a manner, it builds up wonder in a reader to desire to cognize more and be interested in the text.
Note: Please mention to the Appendices for both verse forms discussed in this essay.
