The Verbal Irony in Al-Jahiz’s Letters

Abstract

Verbal irony is a discoursal pattern that regales the readers, raising their astonishment out of the surprises it embeds. This pattern makes the process of reading texts more effective, particularly when it comes to the interpretation of what is said and unsaid in the text. In Al-Jahiz’s Letters, verbal irony is realized in terms of breaking the readers’ expectations, similes, and paradoxical dichotomies; all render the Letters unprecedentedly vibrant and exciting.