Read the line below from the poem “Birmingham Sunday” by Richard Fariña and answer the question that follows. At an old Baptist church there was no need to run. Which literary technique does this line use?

The line uses irony: saying there was “no need to run” sounds reassuring, but the poem is about the bombing of a Baptist church, where people were in danger. The contrast between the calm wording and the tragic event makes the statement ironic.

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