Writers often use many tools while writing. Irony is just one example. When writers want their words to have a double meaning, they use irony. It is often clear when the narrator's words or the character of the writing are different from the meaning the writer is implying. Irony is present in the poems “The Unknown Citizen” by WH Auden, “Rite of Passage” by Sharon Olds and “Bully” by Martin Espada. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the poem “The Unknown Citizen,” Auden's use of irony is easy to see. In this poem he describes an essentially insignificant citizen. This person did nothing wrong, and he describes it by saying, “and all accounts of his conduct agree, that, in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a saint.” The fact that he wrote a poem praising someone for being so mediocre is ironic in itself. Another use of irony in this poem is when Auden says, “Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd: if something had gone wrong, we would certainly have known about it." With this quote Auden is saying that there could be nothing wrong with this citizen. However, due to the use of irony, his words have another meaning. Auden is implying that even though he lived a boring life where he did nothing wrong, it doesn't necessarily mean he was completely happy. “Rite of Passage” by Sharon Olds also includes irony. This poem is about children at a party, but it holds a deeper meaning. When Olds describes the scene as “a room full of little bankers, crossing their arms and frowning,” this is an example of irony because while it seems like he is describing adults, he is actually describing children. Another example of irony that Olds uses in this poem is when he says, "like generals, they sit back and play war, celebrating my son's life." This sentence shows his use of irony because World War II was happening when this poem was written. War is obviously a terrible thing, but this example is ironic because the children play with it casually, have fun, and do it all while celebrating his son's birthday. A birthday is the celebration of another year of someone's life, but these children are playing a game about death. The poem “Bully” is another good example of a poem that contains irony. Espada describes this school by saying, “now the Roosevelt school is pronounced Hernandez.” Espada goes on to say that “Roosevelt is surrounded by every face he has ever shown in eugenic spite,” which is an example of his irony. This is ironic because this school is named after Roosevelt, someone who participated in the Spanish-American War. However, the children who now fill the school are Spanish-speaking children. They describe the kind of people Roosevelt fought against, but now attend his school and "plot to spray graffiti in parrot-bright colors over the Victorian mustache and monocle." Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get Custom Essays Writers and poets often use irony in their work. It is a tool used to make their words have multiple meanings. It can sometimes be difficult to see at first. “The Unknown Citizen” by W. H Auden, “Rite of Passage” by Sharon Olds, and “Bully” by Martin Espada are all poems that include good examples of the use of irony.