Question

Read the excerpt from "A Modest Proposal." A very worthy person, a true lover of his country, and whose virtues I highly esteem, was lately pleased, in discoursing on this matter, to offer a refinement upon my scheme. He said, that many gentlemen of this kingdom, having of late destroyed their deer, he conceived that the want of venison might be well supply'd by the bodies of young lads and maidens. The underlined portions of the excerpt are examples of verbal irony because

Answer 1

Answer:

The underlined portions are examples of verbal irony because a virtuous person would not suggest using children for food.

Explanation:

Verbal irony happens when a speaker says something contradictory to what he's trying to pass across. It's purposely done by the speaker.

A truly virtuous person would never harbour the thought of using children as food. So, this aptly indicates the opposite of what the speaker said.

Answer 2

Answer:

The irony is that the country lover is saying that the flesh of young deers are used to meet the demand in the market whereas he is using words of young lads and maiden. So he actually means was different from the words.

Explanation:

The irony is that the patriotic person is saying that the venison is coming from the bodies of young lads and maidens which means he is actually saying that the vanison is supplied which is the meat that comes from the bodies of young deers. He is not talking about using children for food.