The Difference Between Sarcasm and Verbal Irony

Ello, there! How is everyone's Saturday going? Mine, too.

Today, I learned something very amazing and frightening. I have been informed (by my text book for my Poetry Writing class) that I have been overextending my use of the word "sarcasm."

Now, before I learned this shocking truth, I have been using the word "sarcasm" very frequently. For example, if someone asked me how my Saturday was going, like I had just done above, and I hadn't been having a very good Saturday, I would respond, "Oh, just great. That's sarcasm, by the way."

-Insert buzzer sound when a person answers incorrectly on a gameshow here-

That is, in fact, incorrect. This is not sarcasm, folks. This is something we call "verbal irony."

You: So, Andrea, what is verbal irony?

Verbal irony is saying one thing when you mean the opposite.

You: But, Andrea, isn't that what sarcasm is?

Yes and no. Sarcasm is a spoke underneath the little verbal irony umbrella. It branches out from the verbal irony tree, if you will. They both require saying something that means the opposite. However, here is where the trick comes in: Sarcasm is meant to injure the feelings of another.

For example, if I am playing basketball (which I fail miserably at, by the way), and I steal the ball (I don't even know if that's the correct term for this), and am being closed in by a dozen other more experienced basketball players who are most likely stronger and a LOT taller than me (I'm a midget), and running to the basket is not an option because everyone is all up in my grill (is that what they call it?), I have no choice but to attempt to make a shot at the half-court line. So, I bend my knees and jump as high as I can--the ball goes flying--the crowd gasps at the incredible risk I am taking---!

--And the ball doesn't even come near to the basket. I have failed miserably at basketball.

So what do my teammates say?

"Nice, shot, Andrea."

That, my friends, would be sarcasm.

In short:

Sarcasm: Saying one thing and meaning another to hurt the feelings of another.
                  Ex: "Nice going."

Verbal Irony: Saying one thing and meaning another. That's it.
                  Ex: "I'm really looking forward to being mocked, whipped, and crucified tomorrow!" -Jesus.

This is verbal irony because He doesn't say this to hurt the feelings of another. Because that would be a sin, and He's Jesus.

We usually use verbal irony more than we use sarcasm, which is good, because sarcasm is mean. Remember, Jesus never used sarcasm. He used verbal irony.