My book has a very simple surface, but there are layers of irony and paradox all the way through it.
quote by Mark Haddon

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Irony is the form of paradox. Paradox is what is good and great at the same time.
quote by Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel

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Can't Really Get Enough Of Love Babe
once i have it, there is this irony, i give it away,
i wish, i dream, i work to have what i do not have yet
once it is in my hand, there is this irony, i throw it away.
the paradox of feelings, i had this joy, long time ago, and
i let it go, and i wish it comes back to me, like a memory of someone
too far away, i spend life like it is not life at all, i wish death, like death is life,
like it is not like, this is the irony of my life,
hating and loving and hating and loving, until, everything is gone
i have nothing and then i feel so complete.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa

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The Gaiety Of Reflection
'Irony is the gaiety
of reflection
and the joy of wisdom.'
Anatole France (1844-1924)
ON that clear day
on that clear
pond
i see the face of irony
it is myself
and it is not myself
both
in the paradox
of belief and
disbelief
there is joy
in the wisdom
of acceptance
in the domain
of my own
laughter having
seen
what i am
and what i am not
what i ought to be
and what
i want to be
it makes sense
in this
loneliness.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa

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The Irony of Love
Irony is a literary or rhetorical device.
The essayist Henry Watson Fowler wrote:
“any definition of irony
—though hundreds might be given,
and very few of them would be accepted—
must include this,
that the surface meaning
and the underlying meaning of
what is said are not the same.'
He left out that any definition of
Irony must include that it is cruel.
I never understood
The meaning of irony
Or how cruel it can be,
Until you told me,
That though you may love me,
You find it difficult to
Hear the words
“I love you” from me.
You see, some three years ago
You jokingly said
'I love you' to me,
And I begged you
Never to utter those words again.
Not because I did not want to hear them,
But because they were difficult for me.
They carried heart-felt consequences
That I did not want to face.
So, I shut out my heart and followed my head.
And in life filled with so many regrets,
It was the biggest mistake I ever made.
The irony,
After some thousand days have past,
You uttered the same
Imprudent sentiment to me.
This sentiment is the definition of irony –
The surface meaning
And underlying meaning are not the same.
Because although I asked you not to say
“I love you”,
It is all I wanted to hear.
The cruelty,
That now that heaven has at last
Blessed, cursed me with
Clarity of the heart,
And I want to say what I mean
With no different underlying sentiment,
You tell me you do not
Want to hear these words from me.
But the most ironic and cruelest part,
Will be,
If you make the same mistake I made
And keep from me what is within your heart.
poem by Hal Caufield

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Popularity
I always say what I have to say
In a simple or paradox way...
I don't care about popularity or rate,
I say from my heart, what I have to say, anyway...
Some things are simple, some are complex,
But they are told, nevertheless...
Who care about his or her rate,
When your poem was really read....
Keep doing what your really doing, dear poet
The world is still there and really matters
True feelings are not easy to come by
To those creeps, say goodbye...
Your true feelings will always surface,
They are funny people who have not face,
Reality is only one for all
Now, you can see, popularity or rate,
Do not matter at all....
poem by Romeo Della Valle

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Real art is without irony. Irony distances the author from his material. Irony is a product of something. It's not the reason for doing something. Irony is a cheap shot.
quote by Robert Altman

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We Live In Contradiction And Paradox
WE LIVE IN CONTRADICTION AND PARADOX
We live in contradiction and paradox-
We are more and less than we want to be-
Our self- definition is over- definable and indefinable
Too much and too little
Too less and too more
We are incredible and trivial to a simple and endless degree-
Who we are and what we are now-
All the mysteries of the stars cannot know-
Why we are what we will be
Only God knows.
poem by Shalom Freedman

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Layers
Above are layers of atmosphere, stratosphere,
Below layers of topsoil, rock and clay,
People in layers rich and poor,
Cities built on top of cities, on top of cities.
Layers of thought conscious to unconscious,
Felt in layers asleep to awake,
In a dream of a dream, of a dream in a dream,
In a dream of a dream, in a dream.
poem by Richard Jarboe

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Take A Pick For The Moment
we meet i only have one layer
we talk and i added another layer
we discuss and i added more layers
we dive to a certain depth and of course
i have to add more and more layers
so i may not drown
so i may not be too vulnerable to pressure
and when we come out of the water
our faces surfacing you do not recognize me anymore
i have layers and layers of myself
that even me
i cannot anymore recognize
the violence within
this turbulence of the self
this storm inside us
this layers and layers of selves
covering the truth
how can i ever uncover
what my depths cover from time to time
when you utter my name?
when you tell me that
i am myself.
there is no self.
There is no us.
There is no future.
I have only the past
and My now
Like a fruit basket
all fresh on top of your table.
Just take one
The apple perhaps.
And fill yourself.
For the moment.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa

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Layers And Layers
we meet i only have one layer
we talk and i added another layer
we discuss and i added more layers
we dive to a certain depth and of course
i have to add more and more layers
so i may not drown
so i may not be too vulnerable to pressure
and when we come out of the water
our faces surfacing you do not recognize me anymore
i have layers and layers of myself
that even me
i cannot anymore recognize
the violence within
this turbulence of the self
this storm inside us
this layers and layers of selves
covering the truth
how can i ever uncover
what my depths cover from time to time
when you utter my name?
when you tell me that
i am myself.
there is no self.
There is no us.
There is no future.
I have only the past
and My now
Like a fruit basket
all naked on top of your table.
Just take one
The apple perhaps.
And fill yourself.
For the moment.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa

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This Is A Poem Without Irony or Ambiguity
THIS IS A POEM WITHOUT IRONY AND AMBIGUITY
This is a poem without irony and ambiguity -
Without any clever contradictions
Or wise paradoxes-
A simple straightforward expression of my gratitude to G-d
For the blessing of a grandchild born-
poem by Shalom Freedman

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Island Fever
Island fever
I think Ive got a touch of island fever
I do believe I feel a bit sauteed
This morning I was just some nonbeliever
Tonight I feel Ive joing a wild crusade
I never thought of life as being breezy
I never thought of time as time to play
I never thought that I could take it easy
But all those feelings changed for me today
Layers and layers of spices and flavors
Are finding their way to my brain
Layers and layers of costumes and players
That make my whole life look insane
Palm trees and views I cant believe
Why would I ever want to leave?
I think Ill take my shoes off and go walking
Down beside the caribbean sea.
I like the funny sounds of parrots squawking
I think I hear a hammock calling me.
Layers and layers of spices and flavors
Could this be some kind of charade?
Layers and layers of costumes and players
I think I will join the parade
Layers and layers of spices and flavors
Could this be some kind of charade?
Layers and layers of costumes and players
I think I will join the parade
I think Ive got a touch of island fever...
song performed by by Jimmy Buffett

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Natural Reaction
A reprobate? Who, me?
What's up with that?
Don't ask me to cozy up
and be your pal, please!
If I wanted, I could wreak
havoc on the whole crew!
By the way, can you define
irony for me?
Yes, I said irony!
I don't think you understand
the uses of irony, do you?
poem by Michael Pruchnicki

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The Paradox Of Poetry
The Paradox of Poetry
Is that every poem contains its own questions-
And that each question it asks
Is answered in another question
Raised from somewhere else-
The paradox of Poetry
Is that its meanings
Cannot be contained by themselves-
And so each paradox too
Bears within it its own ambiguity-
I call this a poem about Poetry
But in Paradox
It is a statement of Love
Which abstract as it is
Lacks poetic feeling
A non- poetic poem
Aspiring to be poetry too-
poem by Shalom Freedman

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Which is a wonderful irony, I have property there. I go back every chance I get. One of the main reasons I actually wrote the book, agreed to write it having never wanted to do that in my life, very intimidating by the way to write a book.
Justify
To add justice,
I did not scream nor cry,
I instead called,
“Irony.”
Yes,
Irony.
The strange noun that bites and slaps when least expected.
So, to justify,
I called Irony.
I would like it to be shown, to the court at least, that I did nothing wrong,
nor nothing right.
I called his name,
when he was gone from sight.
I whispered my wisdom,
to a deaf and blind old fool,
I gave my only love,
To one who would never love at all.
So,
To justify,
I believe I did not lose,
I just didn't win.
That is often the case with irony.
poem by Kaitey Cat

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Devil's Advocate
if you are tired with words,
why do use the words yourself?
why am i using words myself?
why?
because we are far from each other now.
because i cannot touch you.
because i am a slave of the word.
because i can never be free.
because i am not at all human
without the word itself.
the irony is here. Let me hide then.
the paradox is here. Let me live.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa

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I Spy
I spy
I spy your mind-
How much logic does it hold;
I spy your heart-
How much human you are.
I have skills:
The paradox in you,
How much oxymorons you are using,
Who is playing 'Dr Jakyll & Mr Hyde',
Who is the real king and who is the kingmaker-
I can identify.
I am illusive
I hide myself by a veil of Socratic irony
I can wear a mask, too.
Beware!
I am a proud spy.
poem by Prabhakar Sarma Neog

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Let's be schizofrenic
Like and dislike
Pride and vanity
Trick and trap
Irony and paradox
Falsehood and truth
Trust and treachery
Pretence and honesty
Appearance and reality
Mix up so well to boil
In a cauldron of lies
With much Cunningness
Humanity lost face
Logic is more perplex
Now it is fantastic
No need of good or bad
Let's be schizophrenic.
poem by Abdul Wahab

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So many layers
every poem
i wrote
a part of me
taken off
a butterfly
leaving behind
its larvae
to take on wings
and colours
to explore the world
to give world
another layer
to fascinate over
van gogh
that shed
so many layers
to bring out
those layers
on his canvas
to our hearts
layers of pains,
tears, and......
poem by John Tiong Chunghoo

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