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Aemilia Lanyer uses irony and sarcasm in her poem, "Eve's Apology in Defense of Women". She uses sarcasm to address the issue of female inequality, and uses imagery and ironic undertones to make the poem effective. In the first stanza, Lanyer begins the poem wi ....

Middle of Essay
.... of humankind because it should have been expected for women to succumb to the power of temptation. Adam's acceptance of the fruit is inexcusable because he is supposedly stronger than Eve and should have been able to resist her temptation. "What weakness offered, strength might have refused, Being lord of all, the greater was his shame…For he was lord and king of all the earth, Before poor Eve had either life or breath" (35-36, 39-40). This statement is ironic because Lanyer does not believe that women are weak or that men are stronger. She goes on to chide Adam for "lay(ing) the fault on Patience' back" (49) and wonders why women must p ....