Live, Laugh, Love

It is scientifically proven that laughter is a cure to many things. For one, It lowers blood pressure, burns calories, and reduces the risk for heart disease. Lets take a trip, Alpaca my bags, and we can laugh with several different humorous devices. 

The five different humorous devices I will be choosing will be: 
1.) Pun
2.) Oxymoron 
3.) Verbal Irony
4.) Situational Irony
5.) Sarcasm 

1.) Pun-oerty

Pun fun by Ralph Taylor

I had an IPod problem! I fixed it, this is how!
I named the thing "Titanic", by God, it's "syncing" now!
I was wondering where the sun goes? I stayed up all night to see!
Sure enough, next morning, it finally "dawned" on me!
I'm an avid reader. I read anything around.
I read an "anti-gravity" book, and I couldn't put it "down"!
I know some real bad food jokes, but let me tell you first!
The one about German sausage, brother, that's the "wurst"!
There are several types of illness, that leave you sore and weak!
But, when your bladder is infected, "urine" trouble, so to speak!
I was sorta down and out! Times were hard, you know?
So, I got a job in a bakery, because I "kneaded" dough!

This poem comes from Ralph Taylor, whom has written poems since 2010. His poem "Pun fun" has the humorous device of a pun, It gives words that sound the same as actual events that have happened. Although the words are not to be taken literal, they sound the same as you could say them if you changed out the "fake" word for the actual definition. This pun is successful for many reasons. One Ralph uses the words in a very useful way, it made me laugh to hear the several ways one word can change a poem. For example we all know that the titanic cannot sync, but it can sure sink! 

2.) Oxymoron

I am a oxymoron

No doctor, I said
Watching his eyes flick,
From pity to surprise,
I am not bipolar,
I am an oxymoron.

I am a calm hurricane,
Making a mess everywhere I go,
and doing it with absolute grace.
A beautiful monster,
The girl you'd like to have around,
But can never tame.
An angel in agony,
With a heart of gold yet  hard to love.

Yes doctor, I explained,
It is the ultimate coaster ride.
When I am up, the view is great, 
I throw my hands up high,
I live, I conquer. 
When I drop,
I take the pain of the fall,
and turn it into art.

There's no need for pills dear doctor,
Why would you want to change,
This painfully shy extrovert,
The life of the party and the buzzkill,

The friend you hate,
The enemy you love.
This is who I am,
Perfectly flawed.

So no doctor,
I am not bipolar,
I am the soul in a robotic world,
A rainbow in a black and white film,
I am an oxymoron.

This poem "I am a oxymoron" is from the artist Rikiana. She is giving a whole new perspective on how we all act as a human being. We all, in a way, are a oxymoron. She questions for those who are considered to be ill, are they really? or do they just think differently then us. This poem is a oxymoron because she uses examples like a calm hurricane and the rainbow in a black and white film. This oxymoron is successful for many reasons. For one, Rikiana uses many examples of explaining how one thinks, her quotes are outstanding and have meaning and make you think about the world around you. It was humorous because she is arguing with her doctor in this poem. We all know that if a doctor says you are ill, you are. She says what everyone else wants to say. 

3.) Verbal Irony

Smart by Shel Silverstien

My dad gave me one dollar bill
'Cause I'm his smartest son,
And I swapped it for two shiny quarters
'Cause two is more than one!
And then I took the quarters
And traded them to Lou
For three dimes -- I guess he didn't know
That three is more than two!
Just then, along came old blind Bates
And just 'cause he can't see
He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,
And four is more than three!

And then I took the nickels to Hiram Coombs
Down at the seed-feed store,
And the fool gave me five pennies for them,
And five is more than four!

And then I went and showed my dad,
And he got red in the cheeks
And closed his eyes and shook his head --
Too proud of me to speak!

This poem "smart" comes from Shel Silverstien. He wrote a poem based on the knowledge of what the world thinks but also what kids thinks. More is better, however more is not always better. This is a perfect example of verbal irony, This poem is also successful for many reasons. The first reason being two is more than one. His father gave him a dollar bill and he traded it for two quarters, in his mind he thinks its more. It made me laugh because it is the typical kid knowledge now knowing exactly how money works besides why have one when you can have two!

4.) Situational irony

Text

Two deep sea divers rest on the ocean floor, One glances to the other and said do you know what would be ironic? The other replied with "what" the first one giggled and said "if we died of dehydration, and looked around." 

 

"Im sorry" and "My bad" Mean the exact same thing. Unless you are at a funeral. 

I could not find the authors of these quotes, however they are both a perfect example of situation irony. I say this because they are both funny and yet very correct. These are successful because they use their surroundings to make a funny situation and give a accurate result of real life situations. Take a look at the first one, If you can visualize nothing but water and yet dying of dehydration would be quite ironic. And the second one uses a funeral to express how two words can be the same thing but not in a certain environment.  

5.) Sarcasm 

1.) I mean nice
in the most sarcastic way
'Cause I disagree
with everything you have to say.

2.) boy.. this is going to
be a fun night.

3.) HAHAHAHAHA.
You're so funny.
-straight face-
 

I feel like these are the most common the world has used this day in age. You disagree with almost everyone who tries to make fun of your problems. We always just agree when talking to someone we do not like or we not longer want to talk to that person. These quotes are successful for many reasons. One being that these are very relateable in life today. Sarcasm is a escape and these were spot on.  

CREDIT: 

Taylor, Ralph. "Pun Fun." Poem by RALPH TAYLOR. Poetry Soup, 30 Apr. 2012. Web. 7 Dec. 2015

"Rikiana: Poems." Hello Poetry. Rikiana Borneo, 13 July 2014. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.

"Poem: 'Smart' by Shel Silverstein." Poem: 'Smart' by Shel Silverstein. Marketplace Poetry Project, 27 Apr. 2009. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.

And credit to google search for the quotes and unclaimed author poems I found.