Which of the following is an example of verbal irony?
a. A left handed person is called "Lefty"
b. A tall person is called "Shorty”
c. An arrogant criminal gets caught.
d. A best-selling writer's latest novel is a flop.
d. A best-selling writer's latest novel is a flop.
The example of verbal irony among the given options is: d. A best-selling writer's latest novel is a flop.
Verbal irony is a literary device where words are used to convey a meaning that is opposite to their literal interpretation. To determine which of the options is an example of verbal irony, we need to analyze each statement and identify if there is a contrast between the literal meaning and the intended meaning.
a. A left-handed person is called "Lefty": While this statement uses a nickname based on a characteristic, it does not contain any irony because it matches the literal meaning.
b. A tall person is called "Shorty": This statement uses a nickname that contradicts the literal meaning, as a tall person is referred to as "Shorty." This is an example of verbal irony since it conveys the opposite meaning.
c. An arrogant criminal gets caught: This statement does not contain irony, as there is no contradiction between the literal meaning and the intended meaning. It simply describes a situation without any contrasting elements.
d. A best-selling writer's latest novel is a flop: This statement contains irony because it presents a contradiction between the literal meaning (a best-selling writer) and the intended meaning (a novel that is perceived as a failure).
So, the correct answer is option d. A best-selling writer's latest novel is a flop.