COGNITIVE UNDERSTANDING OF IRONY IN LITERARY DISCOURSE: CONCEPTUAL INTEGRATION AND TEXTUAL TONE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/2663-6530.2026.49.29-40Keywords:
irony, conceptual integration, figure of thought, metaphor, literary discourseAbstract
The article offers a cognitive approach to understanding irony as a complex mechanism of conceptualization, moving beyond the traditional view of irony as merely a stylistic or rhetorical device. The study is grounded in cognitive linguistics, particularly the theory of conceptual integration by G. Fauconnier and M. Turner, which allows the process of generating ironic meaning to be described as the interaction of multiple mental spaces. The focus is on how irony functions as a mode of worldview and as a means of organizing literary discourse, realized through tone, stylistic manner, and implicit evaluation. It is demonstrated that ironic meaning emerges through interpretation as a result of the addressee’s cognitive activity. This approach allows irony to be seen as a dynamic conceptual model that structures the literary text and shapes the interaction between author and reader.
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