Artistic device is a term used in modern literary criticism as a synonym for the phrase “visual (expressive, artistic) means”: a compositional, rhythmic, stylistic or sound means that serves to concretize, emphasize one or another element of the narrative (the state of the character, description, author’s speech and so on.). By technique we also understand the principles of organizing the artistic structure of a work as a whole: genre, plot, etc.

Visual means are ways and techniques of recreating reality in a work of art, allowing you to present a visible, audible, tangible picture of it: tropes, stylistic figures, various forms of sound instrumentation of the text, rhythm, etc., i.e. those elements of the work that help create “sensory-objective images” (V. Kozhinov).

B. Dzemidok in his work devoted to the theory of the comic, although he does not consider the means of the comic, gives a special place to the study of its forms and methods. He notes five techniques for creating the comic: modification and deformation of phenomena; unexpected effects; disparity in relationships and between phenomena; the imaginary unification of absolutely heterogeneous phenomena: the creation of phenomena that, in essence or in appearance, deviate from the logical or praxeological norm. These techniques are explained on the basis of facts from world art. The author's generalized statements about the techniques of comedy, in a slightly more refined form, can be applied to the work of comic masters of various nations. Another advantage of Dzemidok’s book is that when speaking about purely comic techniques, he excludes comic means, considering them a topic for a separate study.

A narrow and broad understanding of the term “comic means” is possible. Everything that contributes to the creation of a comic effect can be considered comic means in a broad sense. Comic means in the broadest sense include a variety of objects and their details. However, when speaking about the means of the comic, we mean first of all its linguistic means: epithet, metaphor, hyperbole, litotes, metonymy, comparison, etc.

The range of comic means is known: does this include all significant units of language? words, expressions, phrases, sentences and texts. The possibilities of each of these units in creating a comic are limitless. For example, as a means of comedy, we noted a linguistic unit, generally called the “word.” The role of words in comic art is increasing significantly. Speaking about the role of the word as a “comic means”, we mean the functional and stylistic role common words, archaisms and dialectisms, neologisms, terms and terminological words, professionalisms, borrowings and vulgarisms, jargon, proper names of persons, objects and space, nicknames, titles and titles. It is known that metaphors, metonymy, comparisons, artistic definitions (epithets) significantly expand the semantic possibilities of a word. In satirical art, polysemantic words, homonymy, synonymy, antonymy and comic puns are widely used. Pronouncing words with ironic intonation creates an immense field for their semantic and comic variation. A comic effect is also produced by the linguistic play on figurative expressions and aphorisms, paremias, phraseological units, etc.

It should be noted that in the language of prosaic works, the comic nature of homonyms and paronyms most often arises on the basis of puns, which have a serious impact on the comic expression of thought in dialogue. It should also be noted that puns in the language are not limited to the use of lexical homonyms, homophomes, homographs and paronyms; puns have a wide range of expression possibilities and a variety of forms. And yet, in the dialogues of humorous and satirical works, especially prosaic ones, these forms are most often used to create comic puns.

Know that pun? this is not just a play on words. The use of puns in a work of art is often associated with the promotion and development of the author's idea. Among outstanding artists, word puns are rare, but they have great importance. Too many puns can turn a work of art into a playground for meaningless wordplay. V. G. Belinsky, speaking about Chatsky “...and that’s why his wit is so caustic, strong and is expressed not in puns, but in sarcasms.”.., meant precisely this feature. This idea is also connected with the fact that a pun is not a means of expressing evil, harsh, angry satire; The main means of such satire can be sarcasm.

A pun is based on the meaning of a word; it is often associated with a different interpretation, an unexpected rethinking of the word. Sometimes the word is used in a completely different, occasional, meaning. This also includes a humorous etymological analysis in accordance with the character’s mindset.

In the language of prose, comedy with the use of antonyms is not limited to criticism negative qualities inherent in individuals: it also serves to expose social contradictions. Antonyms express the opposites of objective reality in the language of prose. However, in comic works, the general humorous or satirical background gives a comic tone to antonymic contrasts. At the same time, the sides that make up the contrast are sharply different, which enhances the comic effect. Sometimes a comic contrast helps to reveal the hero’s secret intentions and serves to expose his spiritual content.

Interesting examples of comic contrasts through the joint use of words that have no correlation or connection with each other. In general, the description of completely incompatible, completely different and opposite objects and concepts in one row is one of the main means of expressing the manner of surprise. These means have long been used in world literature. For example, G. Heine wrote: “In general, the inhabitants of Göttingen are divided into students, professors, philistines and cattle, which four classes, however, are far from strictly different from each other.” The satirical attitude here is expressed in the comparison of professors, students and philistines with cattle.

The techniques are also varied in nature. Of course, in a work of art, all comic techniques are related to language, since a work of art is created on the basis of linguistic material. However, not all comic techniques have an equally active relationship with the lexical and grammatical means of language. For example, situationally determined irony, contrast, comic exaggeration (hyperbole), belittlement (litotes), manners of misunderstanding, and surprise are less dependent on the constituent elements of language.

Is the remedy specific in nature? general. The same tool can serve as an element of several techniques. For example, the comic effect of words can be used in irony, and in forms of deformation and other techniques. The means is material, concrete; the technique is materially “elusive”, it is abstract. The means of the comic are obvious: we see them, read them, pronounce them. But the techniques are not derived from these means: they are indirect in nature.

The strength of a comic work, the significance of humor and satire depend on the choice of means, their appropriate use, and their skillful introduction into the text. In cases where the work does not meet these requirements, the comic is expressed palely, the satirical spirit? weak This circumstance once again confirms the inextricable unity of the means and techniques of the comic. Without comic means, the formation of a comic character and conflict is impossible. The plot of a comic work is gradually loaded with comic means, which, according to the general course of the plot, determine the development of comic techniques.

The language of satirical works does not materially differ from the language of non-satirical works: the linguistic means of the comic also consist of phonetic, lexical, phraseological and grammatical means. The linguistic means of the comic cover all expressive means of language; they are identical with the means used in lyrical, epic and dramatic works, and do not differ from them in their material shell. Phonetic, lexical, phraseological and grammatical means of language are the material for any work. These tools are used by all writers. However, the main task of the comic master is to use linguistic means in a comic sense; a master of satire, a creator of humor must be able to give the means used a satirical or humorous coloring, select those units that have a comic quality in the language itself, color his work with comic intonation and comic speech means.

Praise and approval in combination with other words and in the presence of ironic intonation can take on the opposite meaning and turn into a means of satire.

Vulgar words and expressions constitute a special and significant category of words in the common language. Words expressing vulgar and rude meanings have an ancient history in the language; for a long time they exist in a limited everyday environment and are passed on from generation to generation. Vulgarisms have a pronounced national flavor, so they, as a rule, consist of words native to the language (in rare cases, they are borrowed from other languages). A certain part of vulgarisms (so-called curse words) express harsh and irreconcilable relations between different individuals in everyday life. They often have a humorous and good-natured connotation.

Vulgarisms also penetrate into works of art. And this is natural. Writers turn to vulgarisms for a comprehensive depiction of the character of the image, its position in public life and in everyday life, for a natural and real reflection of its relationships with others, and reactions to various phenomena. Writers differ in their culture of using vulgar words and expressions in relation to vulgarisms in the language of works of art. Some give a wide place to vulgarisms, while others adhere to the principle of limited use of such words and expressions.

In the language of satire, vulgarisms are used mainly as comic means. But this does not apply equally to all vulgarisms found in satirical works. A whole series of abusive expressions and curses in the language of satire, without having comic overtones, are associated with the general development of the plot and images. These words express the necessary concepts. However, in most cases, comic masters use vulgarisms in a work of art as comic means, paying special attention to their capabilities in creating a comic effect.

In the language of satirical prose, vulgarisms are mainly an integral element of the speech of characters. Sometimes abusive and rude expressions are found in the author's speech. In the author's speech, vulgarisms are usually associated with a negative, satirical attitude towards the image.

Fictitious names, nicknames, titles as means of satirical typification provide invaluable assistance to writers who use them as the most significant means of typification. Masters of satire, trying to stigmatize negative images, select names that from the very beginning expose the base essence, the low social “rating” of these characters. All this plays a significant role in creating a generalized image of a satirical type.

In a work of art, proper names perform not only a nominative-identifying function: being associated with the theme of the work, genre, general composition and the nature of the images, they carry a certain stylistic load and have a stylistic coloring. Names and nicknames in the writer’s stories play a significant role as a source of comic impact; they force the reader to follow the development of events with a smile.

Thus, despite the frequent confusion of forms, techniques and means of the comic, two main forms of the comic are still distinguished: humor and satire. Among the techniques for creating comic content are: situationally determined irony, contrast, comic exaggeration (hyperbole), belittlement (litotes), manner of misunderstanding, surprise. And among the means of creating the comic, epithets, metaphors, comparisons, likenings, oxymorons, synonymy, antonymy, curses, curses, approvals, praise, vulgarisms, professionalisms, “telling” names and surnames, titles, etc. are identified.

graduate work

1.2 Basic comic techniques

All the basic artistic means, all the basic techniques of the comic serve to create an “image” of phenomena that deviate from the norm, phenomena that give rise to the comic.

The further content of the first chapter of our thesis will be devoted to a brief description of the basic techniques of the comic, most commonly used in various types of creativity (satirical, humorous, farcical and vaudeville).

The mentioned techniques can be divided into 5 large groups and within their framework, highlight more specific ones:

1. Modification and deformation of phenomena:

· Exaggeration - can affect appearance (face, figure), behavior (manner of speaking, moving), situation and character traits.;

ь Ordinary exaggeration.

ь Exaggeration as a means of caricature.

· Parody - imitation of the original with simultaneous exaggeration of its characteristic features, sometimes exaggerating them to the point of absurdity;

· Grotesque.

· Travesting - its purpose is to humiliate, vulgarize those phenomena that are considered worthy, deserving of respect or even admiration;

· Downplaying caricaturing is a deliberate simplification that distorts the essence of a phenomenon by emphasizing secondary and insignificant points while simultaneously neglecting essential features;

· Pace that deviates from normal.

Understatement, exaggeration, disruption of the sequence of irreversible phenomena - a list of various types of deformations used to evoke the perception of the comic.

2. Unexpected effects and striking comparisons.

· Surprise as a means of creating comedy

b Every plot move, every turn that the viewer or reader did not foresee, everything that happened contrary to his expectations and assumptions;

b Unexpected convergences and comparisons of phenomena that are different or even mutually exclusive (the similarity between a person and an object or between a person and an animal), going beyond ordinary comparisons;

ь Comparisons that reveal a striking coincidence and similarity between generally accepted views and everyday situations, on the one hand, and ridiculous and absurd situations and views, on the other.

b Revealing contrast by comparing different, often opposite (in terms of appearance, character, temperament, habits and views) human types;

ь Acuity based on the comparison of phenomena that are distant in nature or incommensurable. A thought that interprets the similarity between phenomena that are actually distant. For example: “Friendship is like tea: it’s good while it’s hot, strong and not over-sweetened.”

3. Disproportion in relationships and connections between phenomena.

· Anachronisms from the field of morals, views, language, way of thinking, etc. This is a mixture of features from different eras with the same goal - to create a comic effect.

4. Imaginary unification of absolutely heterogeneous phenomena.

· Grotesque, based on multiple transitions from one sphere to another; using contradictions, combining different styles and creative methods;

· Creating situations in which the hero’s behavior does not correspond to the circumstances, does not agree with them - in situations that are least suitable for this, the hero retains the appearance of a person for whom self-esteem and good manners are most important;

· Inconsistency between appearance and behavior, the nature of the activity performed, or other psychophysical manifestation of individuality;

· Discrepancy between appearance and what lies behind it, between illusion and reality.

b Demonstration of the discrepancy between a person’s high opinion of his moral, social, intellectual significance and his actual value;

b Discrepancy between theory and practice, between stated views and actions that contradict them.

b Discrepancy between dreams and reality;

b A statement where the hidden essence serves as a negation of the literal meaning - in other words, an ironic statement. The essence of irony always lies in the fact that someone is assigned a trait that is absent, and thereby its absence is only emphasized.

Sarcasm Sarcasm (from the Greek Sarcazo - tearing meat) is an indignant mockery expressing a high degree of indignation. Sarcasm is characteristic of satire, in contrast to irony, which is associated with both humor and satire. Like irony, satire, biplanes, denunciation is based on the relationship between the planes of the implied and the expressed [Dictionary-Reference Book of Literature: 2000]. differs from irony only in being more caustic and gloomy, which takes it beyond the limits of the comic.

· Discrepancy between the usual purpose of an item and a new and surprising way to use it;

· Inconsistency between form and content.

We can talk about a discrepancy between form and content if the language the author uses to describe a particular situation clearly does not correspond to what is being described.

· Unnatural repetitions of phenomena as a comic method. Repetition can only produce a comic effect if it is surprising, unexpected or absurd. The intensity of the comic with this technique increases with repetition (of a phrase or situation).

5. The creation of phenomena that essentially or apparently deviate from the logical norm or praxeological norm.

Violation of praxeological norms

Performing unnecessary, useless work;

b Choosing the wrong means to achieve the goal;

b Complicating an apparently simple task;

ь Misunderstanding.

· Violation of logical norms.

b Error in inference and incorrect associations;

b Logical confusion and chaos of statements (lack of logical connection sentences, unexpected insertions and turns of the topic, incorrect use of words, etc.);

b Absurdist dialogue, characterized by a lack of connection between the interlocutors’ remarks;

b Logical inversion, which consists in a polar displacement of situations and qualities of objects;

ь These are absurd statements at first glance.

This short list of the most important comic techniques can be continued. A more extensive and systematic description of the linguistic techniques with the help of which comic effects are created was created by Bystron in his monograph.

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In principle, anyone can joke well. But a master of humor can only be called one who knows how to use it in different forms and use different techniques, because this allows you to be more flexible, adapt to any situation, competently insert a “red” word, getting straight to the point and without offending anyone. Probably, it is for this reason that already in Ancient Greece the comic arose as a philosophical category, which denotes aesthetically and socially significant and culturally formalized funny. Then the problem of the comic was considered in detail by the philosopher Aristotle, and later by A. Schopenhauer, A. Bergson, Z. Freud, V. G. Belinsky, M. M. Bakhtin, V. Ya. Propp, Yu. B. Boryaev, A. A. Sychev, A.V. Dmitriev and other researchers.

The comic field includes grotesque, sarcasm, irony, humor, satire and other types. In addition, it can manifest itself in many genres and types of art, such as feuilletons, comedies, sketches, buffoonery, caricatures, ditties, etc. The comic is also expressed in puns, jokes, and anecdotes. It often appears on its own in all sorts of errors, slips, misprints, slips and misunderstandings.

Next, we will look at the main types of comics that are most often found in life and art, and also give examples for each type, and then we will talk about the most popular comic techniques that are easy to use in everyday life, and give exercises for practicing them.

• Joke
• Joke
• Irony
• Oxymoron
• Parody
• Satire
• Graphic arts
• Wit
• Sarcasm

First things first.

Joke

A joke is a short text or phrase with humorous content. It can take different forms, for example, a story, a question or an answer. Almost always, a joke has an ending (punchline) that ends the story and makes it funny.

Joke

An anecdote is a small funny story with an unexpected ending. An anecdote can be a play on words, the meaning of terms and concepts, or some associations. In some cases, to understand a joke you need to have certain knowledge, for example, geographical, historical, literary, social, etc. , because jokes can relate to any area of ​​human life. It is also worth noting that the authors of jokes almost always remain unknown, and the narrators never claim authorship.

EXAMPLE:

A lion walks through the forest. Meets a giraffe:
- Hey, longneck! Who is the bravest in the forest?
- You, lion!
Lev smiled contentedly and moved on.
Sees a zebra:
- Hey, striped one! Who is the most beautiful in the forest?
- Of course you are, lion!
Leo, proud, moved on.
Sees an elephant:
- Hey, long-nosed! Who is the smartest in the forest?
The elephant takes the lion with its trunk, throws it over its back and throws it into the swamp. The lion climbs out, shakes off the mud and says:
- Well, why be so nervous? You could have just said, "I don't know."

Irony is the use of words in a negative sense, contrary to the literal one, as a result of which apparently positive statements acquire a negative connotation. Irony is also often called ridicule or even mockery. The meaning of irony is that missing features are attributed to an object or situation in order to highlight this absence. Irony allows you to give a negative or comical character to something or someone. In addition, anti-irony and self-irony are distinguished. In self-irony, a person laughs at himself, and in anti-irony, the negative message implies the opposite, i.e. positive connotation.

EXAMPLE (Irony): “Come here, literate” (in relation to an illiterate person)

EXAMPLE (Self-irony): “Well, here I showed myself in all my glory” (about inappropriate behavior in a tricky situation)

EXAMPLE (Anti-irony): “But we, fools, have no idea” (implying that “we” already understand everything)

Oxymoron

An oxymoron is also called “smart stupidity”, i.e. a combination of incompatible (opposite in meaning) words. In art it is often used to create a stylistic effect.

EXAMPLES: Living corpse, lying truth, joyful sadness, burning cold, etc.

Parody

A parody is the imitation of something known to create a funny effect. You can parody the behavior of famous people, the acting of actors, the performance of musicians, habits, speech, facial expressions, gestures, etc. Parodies of music, painting, and literary works are common in art.

EXAMPLE: Arkady Raikin "Poet of the sixties "(parody of R. Rozhdestvensky)

Satire

Satire is a kind of comic pathos, a harsh denunciation and ridicule of negative phenomena in life, social and human vices. Sometimes satire isn't funny. Humor in satire is used to ensure that the satirical work is not perceived as direct criticism or preaching of shortcomings. There are several types of satire: oral, theatrical, literary and graphic.

EXAMPLE (oral satire): concert "The whole truth about Russian dope » Mikhail Zadornov

EXAMPLE (theatrical satire): the play "Every day is not Sunday "Based on the play by A. N. Ostrovsky (Theater "Satyricon" named after Arkady Raikin)

EXAMPLE (literary satire): the novel “The Master and Margarita” by M. Bulgakov, the story “The Nose” by N. Gogol, the novel “The Lord Golovlevs” by M. Saltykov-Shchedrin, the story “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by M. Twain, the story-parable “Beastly” yard" by D. Orwell, etc.

EXAMPLE (graphic satire): Soviet magazine "Crocodile »

Sarcasm

Sarcasm refers to caustic, malicious and caustic ridicule, bile remarks, and evil irony over something vicious and base. As a rule, sarcasm (like satire) ridicules human vices and serious atrocities, especially those committed by officials, politicians and dignitaries.

EXAMPLE: “You’re fat, you should lose weight” (in relation to a skinny girl on a diet)

EXAMPLE: “Don’t ask what you can do for your homeland, they will remind you of it” (army wisdom)

EXAMPLE: " Our foreman connected space with time. He ordered us to dig from the fence until lunchtime.”(army wisdom)

EXAMPLE: “Demonstrators against police violence beaten by police” (article title)

Graphic arts

Graphics are a special form of the comic, different from its written and oral expression. The most common types of comic graphics are comics, cartoons and caricatures. Competent comic graphics, in particular political ones, are aimed at increasing social self-awareness and civic responsibility, identifying political sympathies and antipathies.

EXAMPLE (comic):

EXAMPLE (cartoon):

EXAMPLE (cartoon):

And, summing up the conversation about types of comics, a few words about wit and humor.

Wit

Any work of the comic is called wit - the very act of creating humor, anecdote, jokes, satire, etc. There can be no comic without wit. We will talk about wit in detail in the next lesson, but for now we will only note that it allows a person to joke so that the essence is expressed in just one phrase, and so that there is nothing to add. Wit is distinguished by the presence of a joke, but the absence of contempt, and also by brevity. But brevity alone cannot achieve “sharpness,” because it is achieved through the use of unexpected thought.

EXAMPLE: “I decided to take care of myself. Quit smoking and drinking, went on a diet, gave up heavy food. And in two weeks I lost 14 days"(phrase of American actor Oscar Levant).

Humor

Humor can be understood in two meanings. The first is the very understanding of the comic, i.e. the ability to recognize and demonstrate what is funny. And the second is soft, condescending, written or oral criticism. Humor presupposes the presence of gaiety and harmless ridicule; it is not associated with anger and malice, such as sarcasm or satire. The mask of the funny in humor hides underneath serious attitude to an object of laughter, which cannot be reduced to just one funny thing. True humorists perceive humor as grace of mind that brings good; reflection of the creative abilities of the intellect. True humor is characterized by a sense of beauty, the ability to see the unusual in the ordinary, high taste, a sense of proportion, observation and creativity.

Based on this, a sense of humor should be perceived as the ability to understand humor and perceive the funny; as an emotional, intellectual, aesthetic and moral feeling. Because of its rarity, a subtle sense of humor is always worth its weight in gold, but it can and should be developed and nurtured.

The types of comics we have considered are quite enough to understand how broad and multifaceted this topic is. But in any case, this information is purely theoretical nature, after all, any form of funny is built on the use of a number of special techniques, and this is already practice. Therefore, the next point of our lesson will be comic techniques.

Basic comic techniques

Basic comic techniques are necessary in order to create so-called images of phenomena that generate the funny. Below we present the most common techniques used in comic art:

We are offering to you brief description each of them (each of the large groups has private receptions).

Change and deformation of phenomena

Change and deformation of phenomena are:

• Exaggeration is a technique that affects and increases features of behavior, appearance, character, situation
• Parody - imitation of the original object, exaggerating it character traits, sometimes to the point of absolute absurdity
• Grotesque is a method of generalizing and sharpening life relationships through a bizarre and contrasting combination of the real and the fantastic, plausible and illogical, funny, caricatured
• Travesting - vulgarization and humiliation of phenomena considered worthy and deserving of respect
• Caricaturing is a simplification that distorts the essence by emphasizing minor and minor points and neglecting essential features.

Unusual effects and juxtapositions

Unusual effects and comparisons include mainly surprise for the purpose of creating a comic:

• Plot moves and turns that are not anticipated by the listener, reader or viewer, and occur contrary to his assumptions and expectations
• Unexpected comparisons or convergences of mutually exclusive or simply different phenomena that go beyond ordinary comparisons (for example, similarities between people and animals or people and objects)
• Comparisons demonstrating unexpected similarities and coincidences between generally accepted views and everyday situations with views and situations that are absurd and ridiculous
• Demonstration of contrast by comparing types of people opposite to each other (most often in terms of views, habits, temperament, character traits, etc.)
• Witticisms based on the comparison of incommensurable or distant phenomena

Disproportion in connections and relationships between phenomena

Disproportion in connections and relationships between phenomena in most cases is expressed in anachronisms (attribution of people, objects, phenomena or events to another time) from the field of way of thinking, language, morals, foundations or views.

Imaginary unification of heterogeneous phenomena

The imaginary unification of heterogeneous phenomena is understood as:

• Grotesque, based on multiple transitions from one area to another, and using contradictions, uniting different styles and creative methods
• Simulation of situations where the behavior of the characters runs counter to the circumstances
• Inconsistencies between behavior and appearance, character or any other psychophysiological manifestation of individuality
• Inconsistencies between appearance and nature, illusion and reality, theory and practice, reality and fantasy, self-conceit and true value
• Ironic statements in which the hidden meaning is a denial of the literal meaning
• Sarcasm as indignant mockery is a reflection of a high degree of indignation, characterized by gloom and causticity
• Inconsistencies between the usual purposes of objects and unusual uses
• Unnatural, absurd, unexpected or surprising repetitions of phenomena, situations, phrases, actions

Creation of phenomena deviating from the norm

The creation of phenomena deviating from the norm includes:

• Violation of rational, efficient, productive and effective norms
• Performing useless and unnecessary work (choosing tools that are inappropriate for the task, complicating simple tasks, violating logic, erroneous associations and conclusions, etc.)
• Chaotic statements and logical confusion (logical incoherence, unexpected turns and insertions, unusual use of words)
• Absurdist dialogues in which there is no connection between the participants’ remarks
• Logical inversions, where the qualities of objects and situations shift
• Statements that seem ridiculous at first glance

The list goes on, but we will limit ourselves to this. If you want to get acquainted with a more voluminous and systematized description of comic techniques, you can refer to the relevant sources, a small list of which we will provide at the end of the lesson.

Now we offer you some good exercises and recommendations with which you can learn to apply some comic techniques in your everyday life.

Exercises and recommendations for developing skills in using comic techniques

There are no special conditions for these exercises. All of them can be performed by you at will and in any order. But to achieve maximum results, we recommend that you practice daily in your free time or at a special time allotted for this.

"Funny story"

Make up a story about yourself and tell it to someone. This will allow you:

• Check how developed your sense of humor is
• Find out if you can make jokes on purpose
• Understand what your mistakes were in creating the story and telling the story
• Laugh at yourself with another person

"Associations"

Take any word and select five associations for it as quickly as possible. It is desirable that the associations be interesting, unusual and unexpected.

"Anti-associations"

"Ambiguity"

When you talk about something, think about how many meanings each word you use has. It is recommended to remember both the usual uses and figurative and slang meanings.

"Words starting with one letter"

Take one letter of the alphabet and make up a long, meaningful sentence with all words beginning with it. Exercise allows you to replenish lexicon and make thinking more flexible.

"Unusual Definition"

Take any common word and come up with an unusual definition for it that does not correspond to the meaning. You can come up with definitions based on similarity or consonance with other words.

"New words"

Take some prefix or ending, such as “super-”, “-ness” or “anti-”, and come up with a new concept. Then give the concept a dictionary definition and make some meaningful sentences with it.

“What to do with the item?”

Take any completely ordinary object (box, pencil, thread, etc.) and come up with 20 ways to use it.

"Search for similarities"

Choose any two objects that have nothing in common (a bird and a stool, a glass and a telephone, etc.). Task: find 10-15 similarities between them.

"Identification"

Turn on a humorous TV show. While watching, identify the techniques and jokes used by comedians (comparison, anecdote, sarcasm, double meaning etc.).

"Journalist"

Imagine yourself as a journalist. Take any magazine or open photos on the Internet, and come up with funny captions for 10-15 of them. It is best if the descriptions reflect the theme, but diverge from the real picture.

"Replacement with synonyms"

Take any word and replace it with synonyms with a comic message (for example, “the driver is the luminary of the steering wheel and pedals,” “cat food is Vaska’s food,” etc.).

"Wordplay"

Take some word with several meanings and construct a sentence so that in the second part its entire meaning changes (for example: “Stirlitz shot blindly. The blind woman fell,” etc.).

"Failing Expectations"

Make up a sentence so that in the first part the expectation is formed, and in the second it is destroyed.

"Internal Contradiction"

Select several expressions containing internal contradictions (“sunglasses”, “blue carriage”, “money machine”, etc.), and make up several jokes based on them.

"Consonance"

Choose words that contain other words, but with different meanings, and make up several jokes with them (for example, “gentlemen of fortune - gentlemen AT THE DACHA”, “broom - and POMELO and HAMELO”, etc.)

"Learning words and sentences"

Find some word or stable expression (“authorities”, “bird’s milk”, “human rights”, etc.), and think carefully about the meaning. If there interesting point, build a joke around it.

We also want to repeat once again that you need to practice as much and as often as possible - this will allow you to learn how to use comic techniques competently and quickly. Considering that this largely depends on thinking, attention, creativity, the ability to find associations, think logically and make inferences, we, among other things, advise you to pay attention to ours and go through it.

And as an excellent addition, as we promised, we give you a list of useful literature, from where you can learn a lot of interesting and important information about the many subtleties of humor and the comic:

• Yu. Borev “Comic”
• Yu. Borev “About the comic”
• V. Vinogradov “Stylistics. Theory of poetic speech. Poetics"
• B. Dzemidok “On the comic”
• G. Kazimov “Theory of the comic. Problems of linguistic means and techniques"
• A. Luk “About a sense of humor and wit”
• E. Safonova “Forms, means and techniques for creating the comic in literature”

In the fourth lesson, as already mentioned, we will talk in more detail about wit and ways to develop it, and also introduce some excellent related exercises. After completing the lesson, you will have all the tools to make anyone laugh, even if you were a complete bore before.

Test your knowledge

If you want to test your knowledge on the topic of this lesson, you can take a short test consisting of several questions. For each question, only 1 option can be correct. After you select one of the options, the system automatically moves on to the next question. The points you receive are affected by the correctness of your answers and the time spent on completion. Please note that the questions are different each time and the options are mixed.

THEORY OF LITERATURE

Types of comic

HUMOR (from the English humour - quirk, disposition; lat. humor - moisture) - a type of comic, a depiction of life in a good-natured, playful tone. Unlike satire, which is marked by negative pathos, humor does not deny what is depicted, but ridicules only certain aspects of it. Humor is inherent in many genres of Ukrainian folklore (anecdotes, sayings, ditties, songs, etc.). Masters of humor - I. Kotlyarevsky, M. Gogol, L. Glebov, S. Rudansky, Ostap Vishnya, S. Oleinik, P. Glazovoy and others.

IRONY (from the gr. eigopea - mockery, pretense) is one of the types of comic, hidden ridicule or stylistic device, when a person or phenomenon is feignedly approved or condemned in order to achieve the opposite effect. A sign of irony is a double meaning, and the true one is not the directly expressed one, but the opposite one.

It's the truth what you say, sir! All barefoot and hungry - Drunkards, idlers, thieves And people good for nothing...

(A. Bobenko)

SATIRE (from Latin satura - mixture) - 1) A type of lyric poetry in ancient literature and the literature of classicism, verse that ridicules certain negative phenomena. 2) Works of different genres, in which negative social phenomena are exposed in an acute form. Satire condemns the old, historically doomed, shows its internal worthlessness and expresses new needs for social development. Therefore, it has always been a powerful weapon of political struggle. Outstanding satirical writers of different times F. Rabelais, M. Cervantes, J. Swift, Voltaire, G. Heine, G. Saltykov-Shchedrin, M. Gogol, V. Mayakovsky and others. In Ukrainian literature - T. Shevchenko, I. Kotlyarevsky, I. Franko, Ostap Vishnya, S. Oleynik and others.

INVECTIVE (from Latin invehi - to rush, attack) is a type of satire common in literature and oratory in the era of antiquity, a sharp accusatory ridicule of a particular person or group of persons. Outstanding masters of invective in ancient times were Archilochus, Catullus, Martial and others. As an original genre, invective entered modern literature. It occupies a significant place in the works of T. Shevchenko, I. Frank and other Ukrainian writers.

SARCASM (from the gr. sarkasmos - torment) - evil and caustic irony, an outright manifestation of hatred and contempt for the depicted phenomena or persons. A striking example of sarcasm is T. Shevchenko’s poem “Caucasus”, in which those in power are branded.

According to the apostle's law, you love your brother! Speak, hypocrites, cursed by the Lord!

GROTESQUE (from French grotesque - funny, unusual; Italian grotta - grotto, cave) is a type of artistic imagery based on an extreme measure of convention in reproducing life, when the depicted reality appears incredible, anomalous, strange. The grotesque is characterized by a deliberate caricature distortion of the forms and essence of objects, a combination of the real and the fantastic, the tragic and the comic, the normal and the absurd. As a means of artistic generalization, the grotesque reveals the alogism of life phenomena, and therefore is widely used in satirical works. The term comes from the bizarre drawings found by Raphael (XVI century) in underground Roman grottoes. Examples of the grotesque in literature are “Gargantua and Pantagruel” by F. Rabelais, “The Nose” by M. Gogol, “The History of a City” by M. Saltykov-Shchedrin, the poem “The Dream” by T. Shevchenko, “Doctor Besservisser” by I. Frank, etc.

BURLESQUE (from the Italian burla - joke) - a humorous reworking of a certain work, which is characterized by a discrepancy between the content and the form: “high”, heroic-patriotic content is conveyed in a lower, sometimes vulgarized style, and vice versa - ordinary, “low” - high, sublimely heroic . A striking example is the poem “Aeneid” by I. Kotlyarevsky, which was a reworking of the epic poem of the same name by the Roman poet Virgil. The main plot of the original is preserved, but typical Ukrainian characters are recreated in the images of gods, Greeks and Trojans. Similar works have been known since ancient times. Elements of burlesque are present in Ukrainian ritual games and songs. Burlesque became widespread in the 17th-18th centuries. in the works of seminarians and traveling clerks, in school drama and nativity scenes. They are dominated by church themes, and often* humor is combined with satire. Many anonymous and original works have come down from those times. The means of burlesque were used in their creativity by T. Shevchenko (the poem “Dream”), S. Rudansky, P. Kulish, L. Glebov and others.

BUFFONADA (from Italian buffonáta - buffoonery, comic trick) is a type of humor in theatrical performances based on grotesque techniques of crude comedy. It originates from folk theater (Italian comedy of masks, Russian theater of buffoons, Ukrainian sideshows, etc.). Elements of buffoonery are found in the plays of W. Shakespeare, P. Calderon, Zhe. B. Moliere, M. Gogol, G. Kvitka-Osnovyanenko, M. Kropivnitsky. It exists as an independent genre in circus performances and is sometimes used by playwrights (“Pharaohs” by A. Kolomiets).

In any book of fiction there is a certain idea that is expressed using linguistic means. Fiction contains comic elements that reflect situations in real or fictional life, in which there is necessarily at least a small amount of humor.

Humor can be expressed through different means, types and forms, which produce a certain effect on the reader.

Comic works always attract the reader's attention. Over time, people's mentality becomes different from what it was before, and accordingly, the understanding and perception of humor and comic effects changes radically. Also, over time, the very methods of conveying the comic effect change, thereby making the language special, different from others.

The comic in literature is always determined by the culture and language of the work. Because of this, this or that humorous technique may be incomprehensible, and sometimes it can even mislead the reader.

In addition to the above, an era, together with its characteristic sociocultural phenomena, can indeed determine the nature and degree of expression of traditional and characteristic humor.

There are many types and forms, which can also be classified in different ways. Humor in general can be different, black and white. Humor can be characterized by both softness and lightness, and rough forms.

Thus, it can be noted that the comic is a rather complex category that contains a lot of interesting and diverse things.

Definition of "comic"

The category "comic" has been the object of research since ancient times. The comic covers many aspects of human existence and is defined in gelotological theory (Greek gelos - laughter) as a multimodal and multifunctional phenomenon (Panina 1996)

Each author has his own “toolkit”, and often the writer does not even think about what he uses. The techniques for achieving a comic effect are, in general, clear. This is a discrepancy, a sudden revelation, a misunderstanding... They are countless. After all, the classic cake flying into a character's face is also a comic device.

The comic is a very complex category, which has been studied by many scientists. Starting with Aristotle, who in his treatise “Poetics” called this phenomenon “a certain ugliness and error,” thinkers of different eras defined the comic in different ways. Thus, Francois Rabelais, in the prologue to the fourth book of “Gargantua and Pantagruel,” called it “deep and indestructible cheerfulness, before which everything transitory is powerless,” Denis Diderot argued that the comic should “educate about responsibilities and cultivate taste,” and Nikolai Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky looked at this phenomenon through the prism of the ugly: “The ugliness in the comic is unpleasant to us; The nice thing is that we are so insightful that we perceive that the ugly is ugly. By laughing at him, we become higher than him” (Chernyshevsky 1939-1953).

An interesting fact is that Plato and Aristotle defined the comic and funny through the ugly. Plato considered the comic unworthy of free citizens of an ideal state, contrasting the funny with the serious.

In addition, humor is characterized as gentle ridicule, good-natured laughter; an attitude towards something imbued with such a mood (towards someone’s shortcomings, weaknesses, misadventures, etc.) (Ushakov).

Types of comic

The comic will include such methods as humor, satire, grotesque, irony, caricature, parody and the like. Thus, the types of the comic directly depend on the combination of forms, techniques and means of the comic. For example, hyperbole includes such means as grotesque, caricature, parody.

“The comic can manifest itself in most types and genres of art, but most of all it is characteristic of the genres of comedy, slapstick comedy, mime, comedy film, skit, farce, sketch, feuilleton, epigram, parody, ditty, caricature, caricature. The comic can be expressed in the form of an anecdote, joke, pun, and also arise unconsciously - in slips of the tongue, slips of the tongue, various comic misunderstandings and mistakes.” The techniques for achieving a comic effect are, in general, clear. This is a discrepancy, a sudden revelation, a misunderstanding... They are countless. After all, the classic cake flying into a character's face is also a comic device.

However, the main types of comic include humor, irony, satire, and sarcasm. Different dictionaries and scientists define these concepts differently. Humor can be defined as the author's ability to create comical situations and notice the funny sides in them. Considering this concept more broadly, the concept of “humor” can be understood as everything that can cause laughter and a smile. Black humor is a special type of humor. Black humor can be defined as humor with a clear hint of cynicism. Here, ridicule of human problems and sorrows, diseases and illnesses, as well as violence and similar ailments and troubles of people is allowed. Some classify the above terms (irony, satire, sarcasm) as types of humor.

Speaking of irony, you can notice a distinctive feature of this tool. This technique is based on a hidden or obvious contradiction to facts and common sense. Also, irony can be defined as a technique when words are used in the so-called negative sense, directly opposite to the literal one.

Regarding satire, this technique can be described as a humiliating performance, exposure of facts and phenomenon.

Sarcasm is the highest degree of irony, when caustic ridicule is allowed, when any situation or fact is exaggerated with a clear indication of contrast, followed by denunciation of what is implied.

Talk about specific types comic at the moment is very difficult, since the classifications in different sources are different, one medium can be classified as a subspecies of another. Nevertheless, I have identified, in my opinion, the main types of the comic, or rather the means that create this effect.