The reader from the start is aware of the point of view that the poem is being told in. The first sentence is "But if I", which shows the narrator is in first person. By using first-person the readers are able to have the confidence that the events being told are believable because they come from a first hand character and not a third person unreliable character who could misdirect the reader. The narrator presents a theme using her imaginary lover with the excerpt "But if I were to have a lover, it would be someone who could take nothing from you." This would be much more difficult and not remotely have the same effect if it was done in any other perspective. The reader

The different meanings taken by a reader using different points of view are huge, so it is important to determine which tactic to use to fully achieve the desired perceptions from the reader. Barbara Greenberg successfully used first-person point of view and created dramatic irony due to a limited view of the narrator, and was able to persuasively convince the reader of events that took place in her poem and emphasize emotion in the right place and right manner.

This first-person narration in "The Faithful Wife" has the opportunity to spawn some sort of irony due to her limited view. What the narrator says and her justifications for her actions might be viewed differently by the reader, which creates irony - dramatic irony in this case. In the beginning of the poem the narrator begins with " it would be someone who could take nothing from you. I would, in conscience, not dishonor you" which she is already aligning her actions and justifying her possible "immoral" thoughts by declaring it acceptable. This is ironic because the title is "The Faithful Wife", which the reader sees, but the

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 740
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)