Explain dramatic irony and how it might appear in a poem.

• A. Dramatic irony is when the reader knows more than a character; the narrator may reveal a truth the audience perceives differently, creating tension or critique.
• B. Dramatic irony is when the narrator contradicts the poet's intent.
• C. Dramatic irony is the use of a rhetorical question for effect.
• D. Dramatic irony is when the setting changes abruptly.

Answer: (A)

Dramatic irony comes from a gap in knowledge between the reader and a character in the poem. The reader has information or understands a truth the speaker or other characters do not, so what is said or shown in the poem can take on a meaning the character misses. This creates tension, critique, or emotional impact because the reader sees the reality behind the surface. In a poem, this might look like a speaker praising a situation or boasting about something, while the imagery, tone, or context hints at a hidden danger, regret, or contradiction that the character doesn’t recognize. The effect is that the reader’s awareness makes the poem deeper and more complex than the speaker’s words alone. The other options describe different devices: contradicting the poet’s intent, using a rhetorical question, or a sudden setting change, none of which capture the reader-knows-more-than-a-character dynamic central to dramatic irony.