Read the excerpt from "A Modest Proposal."

I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not the least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the publick good of my country, by advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich. I have no children, by which I can propose to get a single penny; the youngest being nine years old, and my wife past child-bearing.

Which statement best describes how irony is used in this excerpt?

Swift states that he is speaking from "the sincerity in [his] heart."

Swift states that he has an interest in "the publick good of [his] country."

Swift states that the youngest of his children is "nine years old."

Swift states that his "wife is past child-bearing" age.

Question

English

Verena

28 October, 06:53

Read the excerpt from "A Modest Proposal."

I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not the least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the publick good of my country, by advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich. I have no children, by which I can propose to get a single penny; the youngest being nine years old, and my wife past child-bearing.

Which statement best describes how irony is used in this excerpt?

Swift states that he is speaking from "the sincerity in [his] heart."

Swift states that he has an interest in "the publick good of [his] country."

Swift states that the youngest of his children is "nine years old."

Swift states that his "wife is past child-bearing" age.

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Answers (1)

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Arielle Tran · Answer 1

The statement which best describes how irony is used in this excerpt is:

Swift states that the youngest of his children is "nine years old."

Irony is a literary device used to connote the opposite meaning of the ideas presented in an exaggerated manner. The speaker in the excerpt said that he has no children but in the latter part he mentioned that his youngest child is nine years old which opposes his previous line.