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Day 51: Irony


I spent so much time trying to find the right mentor text to bring to students when we talked about irony. I used to use "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant but the language was difficult even for my 10th graders. I could have used the adolescent irony which is just dripping with sarcasm, but I didn't want that either.

If I were in the classroom again, however, these two videos are what I would use. The first is Clive James reading his poem "Japanese Maple" about his soon demise and the metaphor of living to see the maple unfurl before he dies.

Well on his "death bed," he ended his very long marriage because of a long affair by him, and then he did not die. This is the 5 years later interview where he has outlasted that maple tree that his daughter gave him.



Irony with joy. Living the best life posthumously. This is the kind of irony I want them to get.


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