Question

read the stanza from the poem \the battle of blenheim.\ they say it was a shocking sight after the field was won; for many thousand bodies here lay rotting in the sun; but things like that, you know, must be after a famous victory. which line in the stanza is an example of verbal irony? \they say it was a shocking sight\ \after a famous victory.\ \lay rotting in the sun;\ \for many thousand bodies here\

Explanation:

Verbal irony occurs when a statement's intended meaning is the opposite of its literal meaning. The stanza describes the horrific aftermath of battle (rotting bodies), yet frames it as an inevitable part of a "famous victory." The phrase "After a famous victory" contrasts the celebrated idea of victory with the grim, tragic reality of death, creating irony—what is called a "victory" is paired with suffering that undermines its supposed glory.

Answer:

B. "After a famous victory."