What does this irony mean from a cold greeting by ambrose bierce: "it had been taken a week before his death."
what does it mean? i'm having trouble knowing what it means.

The man took strong sharp sudden bites, just like the dog. the figurative language in this excerpt serves to a. give the convict animalistic qualities. b. provide a relatable example of how the convict ate. c. set a scary mood. d. use alliteration to catch the reader's attention.