Smart and Final Iris (Style)

Style

Definitions

“Smart and Final Iris” is written as a series of definitions. Definitions are statements that attempt to express the meaning of a word, word group, sign, or symbol. Tate inverts the conventional order of defining terms by first supplying the definition and then the name of the thing defined. For example, he first gives the definition of “rural paradise” in the opening stanza, writing, “Pentagon code / for end of world.” This is similar to how questions and answers are formulated on the popular game show, Jeopardy. By using code words to name the thing defined, Tate is creating metaphors. Metaphors are figures of speech that draw similarities between two unlike things or ideas. Tate’s metaphoric definitions are often ironic because the similarities are the opposite of what one would expect. For example, “paradise” isn’t what most people think of when they think of the end of the world. The effect of providing ironic definitions is that readers see things in a new light.

Satire

“Smart and Final Iris” satirizes the U.S. military’s attitude toward nuclear warfare by poking fun at the way the Pentagon gives secret code names to various scenarios for nuclear war. Satire often uses irony, wit, and sarcasm to reveal humanity’s vices or stupidity and to make change possible. The purpose of satire is primarily moral, that is, it aims to provoke a response. A favored classical genre, satire remains popular in literature, film, and other art forms today, often targeting political figures and institutions.