Ragged Dick: Or, Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks
by Horatio Alger

Ragged Dick: Or, Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks: Verbal Irony 1 key example

Definition of Verbal Irony

Verbal irony occurs when the literal meaning of what someone says is different from—and often opposite to—what they actually mean. When there's a hurricane raging outside and someone remarks "what... read full definition
Verbal irony occurs when the literal meaning of what someone says is different from—and often opposite to—what they actually mean. When there's a hurricane raging... read full definition
Verbal irony occurs when the literal meaning of what someone says is different from—and often opposite to—what they actually mean... read full definition
Chapter 24: Dick Receives a Letter
Explanation and Analysis—Dick's Jokes:

Dick is a quick talker and never tires of cracking jokes, even with people he's just met. Many of his jokes derive their humor from the suggestion that Dick is a wealthy or prominent figure, when he and his interlocutors know well that he's a poor and insignificant boot-black. These jokes are examples of verbal irony, since the literal meaning of Dick's words is very different from what he actually means.