As Lucia left home on her birthday, a bus splashed her with mud and ruined her new sweater. “Happy birthday to me,” she muttered.

What figure of speech is shown in the paragraph?
(1 point)
item category
personification
pun
verbal irony

Verbal irony

Did she deserve it?

The figure of speech shown in the paragraph is verbal irony.

To determine the figure of speech in the paragraph, it's important to understand the meaning and context of the words used. In this case, the figure of speech used is verbal irony.

Verbal irony is when someone says something, but their intended meaning is different from the literal interpretation of their words. In this paragraph, Lucia mutters, "Happy birthday to me," after the bus splashes mud on her and ruins her new sweater. The use of "Happy birthday to me" in this context is ironic because she is expressing frustration and disappointment instead of happiness.

To identify verbal irony in a text, it's essential to look for situations where the speaker's intended meaning is different from what is explicitly stated. In this case, the use of the phrase "Happy birthday to me" in a negative situation indicates verbal irony.