The essence of irony is mismeaning.

If I step outside on a freezing evening such as the one we’re experiencing here in southern Indiana right now, and I say – “It’s just balmy out!” – then I am being ironic.

If something bad happens, and I say – “Greeeeat.” – then I am being ironic.

Dramatic Irony is the kind of mismeaning where the audience knows something which the character does not.

Let’s suppose for a moment that you are the audience, and I am the character.

I just walked onto the stage, but you’ve been watching since long before I arrived.

Before I entered the picture, Linda Hill was on the stage, and she was talking about how the whole JusJoJan event is one grand elaborate scheme, the goal of which is to get great writers to contribute for free.

Now suppose that I come onto the stage and go into my monologue about dramatic irony.

In this scenario, you know what I do not: that everything is going according to LH’s plan.

But wait! What if my monologue is terrible? Why then we have another irony: an irony of fate. LH has gone to all these great lengths to extract glowing prose, only to end up with my drivel.

But to call my writing drivel is ironic, because it is plainly decent, if not decently plain.

Enough semantic gymnastics! Hello! I’m Dan.

Really looking forward to blogging with you all.

Cheers.