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Diction And Irony In Rifle II By Rudy Francisco

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In Rudy Francisco’s poem “Rifle II,” the author uses diction and irony to express resentment towards both society and himself. The overall message of the poem is clear: a criticism of the glorification of violence. However, it is harder to pin down Francisco’s exact attitude about how the glorification of violence has affected him personally. A closer examination of the language and devices he uses reveals an underlying bitterness about what society has made him into, and who he has become. Throughout the poem, irony is consistently used to illustrate the stark contrast between malevolent acts and the positive reaction such acts receive. In his first fistfight, Francisco says he throws “five pennies”—his fist—into a “fountain”—the other boy’s nose (lines 41 to 46). Throwing coins into a fountain evokes nostalgia and childish wishes, a far cry from what the imagery of a …show more content…

His family’s reaction is another example of this bitter irony: to them, the news of his victory in a physical fight is “artwork we hung on the fridge” (line48), and “a midterm / when all your answers are correct” (lines 50 to 51). This is precisely the opposite of a nurturing environment that promotes goodwill towards others, which one would expect, and is instead painting a picture of a dark, hostile homeland that one must fight to survive in. As a child, he doesn’t understand what this means, but this fistfight and its aftermath illustrate the turning of this boy into the rifle he becomes. He “has no idea what class this was / but [he] did know [he] was passing.” The way this is worded, it conveys a vague hint of brainwashing, and taking advantage of his

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