The Rhetorical Device of Irony in Shabankareh Folk Literature

Abstract

Irony is the final category within the traditional science of rhetoric (including metonymy, simile, metaphor, and irony), and it denotes an indirect mode of expression through which the speaker conveys meaning in a veiled or non-explicit manner. In effect, irony is considered one of the most engaging and aesthetically refined artistic techniques in discourse. In the folk literature of the Shabankareh region, this rhetorical device has been widely employed; indeed, irony constitutes one of the most functional and frequently occurring literary devices in the local dialect of this area. The present study, utilizing both fieldwork and library-based research methods, examines local ironic expressions found in the Shabankareh dialect. The findings of this research indicate the necessity of documenting and preserving these expressions—prior to their potential disappearance—for use by linguists and researchers. In this study, the author attempts to analyze local ironic expressions based on theoretical foundations drawn from the science of rhetoric and the principles of eloquence, and to classify types of irony both in terms of their referential object (makni ‘anhu) and in terms of their degree of explicitness or implicitness.