Figure of Speech
Irony
From Greek eironeia: dissimulation. Socratic irony (feigned ignorance) is distinct from verbal irony; dramatic irony involves audience knowledge the characters lack.
Definition
Expression of meaning through language that signifies the opposite, requiring the reader to infer the true intent.
Example
Swift's 'A Modest Proposal' (1729): seriously proposing to eat Irish babies — the literal surface masks savage political critique.