"APO 96225" by Larry Rottman: Irony

       In Larry Rottman's "APO 96225" he uses irony as the main literary tool in the poem.  At first the mother understands that everything is not great in her son's life and begs him to tell her the truth.  After he tells her the truth the father tells him not to tell his mother things that would upset her.  The letter that upset the man's mother said this, " 'Today I killed a man.  Yesterday, I helped drop napalm on women and children," (Rottman, 846).  The mother getting upset exemplifies the fact that sometimes ignorance is bliss.  Sometimes it is better to not know the truth than to find out how horrible it is.  This irony is used to show the man's loneliness and his lack of support.  It also shows american viewpoint on the Vietnam war.  This viewpoint was that it was unnecessary and that the troops should be brought back home.