So You Think You Can Write Like Shakespeare?

Did you ever have a day where it seemed like everything that could possibly go wrong did, in fact, go horribly wrong but, at the end of the day and only after spending countless frustrating hours trying to make everything right, all those things that went completely wrong righted themselves and all that time you spent trying in vain to do the righting turned out to be entirely inconsequential?


As a literary device, I really dislike cosmic irony. It is an outdated form of expression and should have been relegated to sitcoms and poorly drawn comic strips eons ago. Yet, here we are in the twenty-first century and you can flip open the pages of anyone's life and spot innumerable instances of poorly executed cosmic irony in every chapter.

I know it's a classic but, honestly, it's time to move on to some more elegant and enlightened literary devices. Why not give juxtaposition a try? It is, in my opinion, a far more effective means of making a point. If you feel the need to get creative, there's always the ever-popular alliteration. Looking for something that can be used in a slightly more cynical context? Try hyperbole. Feeling like you can match wits with the greatest? Wrap it all up in a neat little box and allow iambic pentameter to tie the bow before delivery. The choices are practically unlimited!

So please, the next time you feel the need for a little cosmic irony, think about us little folk and consider using an alternative means of demonstrating your satirical omnipotence.



Like it or not, Pixels for Thought.