Question

Which sentence in this passage from Herman Melville’s short story "Bartleby, the Scrivener" is an example of verbal irony?

A. I seldom lose my temper, much more seldom indulge in dangerous indignation at wrongs and outrages.

B. In that direction, my windows commanded an unobstructed view of a lofty brick wall, black by age and everlasting shade, which wall required no spyglass to bring out its lurking beauties, but, for the benefit of all nearsighted spectators, was pushed up to within ten feet of my windowpanes.

C. At one end they looked upon the white wall of the interior of a spacious skylight shaft, penetrating the building from top to bottom.

D. Owing to the great height of the surrounding buildings, and my chambers’ being on the second floor, the interval between this wall and mine not a little resembled a huge square cistern.

Answer 1

B is your answer to this question.

Answer 2

B. In that direction, my windows commanded an unobstructed view of a lofty brick wall, black by age and everlasting shade, which wall required no spyglass to bring out its lurking beauties, but, for the benefit of all nearsighted spectators, was pushed up to within ten feet of my windowpanes.

Step-by-step explanation:

Verbal irony is when words are used to express somethings that are contrary to the truth/ reality. It is a way of describing one thing in a way that it it may not be in truth. The person may say or write something but the intended meaning is just the opposite of what had been written.

Herman Melville employs this literary device in his "Bartleby, the Scrivener" in the lines-

In that direction, my windows commanded an unobstructed view of a lofty brick wall, black by age and everlasting shade, which wall required no spyglass to bring out its lurking beauties, but, for the benefit of all nearsighted spectators, was pushed up to within ten feet of my windowpanes.

In these lines, the narrator who was the boss of Bartleby, gave us a description of his office and its surroundings. He mentions that "its lurking beauty" shows the contrast of his intended meaning. He is sarcastically and ironically saying the contrary of what he thinks about the office and its surroundings.