poetic device: Irony

Irony is when what you expect to happen doesn’t occur, but instead results in the opposite action or effect. For example, if someone were run over by an ambulance, or if you went to “Camp Sunshine” and it rained the whole week.

All of these poems have at least one example of irony each, usually at the end of the poem. See if you can figure out what is ironic in each of these poems.

My Robot Does My Homework
I Love to Do the Laundry by Kenn Nesbitt
I Love to Do the Laundry
December 26
I’m Not Picky
Morning Sports
Snow Mail by Kenn Nesbitt
Snow Mail
I Saw a Sloth Play Soccer
My Penmanship Is Pretty Bad by Kenn Nesbitt
My Penmanship Is Pretty Bad
My Mouse is Misbehaving
Moving to China
My Parents Sent Me To the Store
My Dog Is Not the Smartest Dog
Snow Day
My Mirror Likes to Argue
I Like Myself the Way I Am by Kenn Nesbitt
I Like Myself the Way I Am
Ode on a Unicycle
Science Unfair
Mr. Obvious
An Echo in My Room
The Marvelous Homework and Housework Machine
I Didn’t Do It
I Ran for the Chapstick
I Tried to Find a Dinosaur
Halloween Party