master he’d give me a cask a day” (678). This word choice produces a sarcastic imagery. To the speaker, the lady is so unkind that even her master would give him “a cask a day” but not thy lady. This is an excellent way for the speaker to interpret his tone. On the other hand, a reader could interpret the tone differently if not examined carefully, because of line three: “May the devil grip the whey-faced slut by the hair” (678). This passage might lead the reader to believe that the speaker is angry, but by examining each line, the story’s tone is finalized to more of a sarcastic, playful tone. Even today, comedians use an angry tone when giving a show. Most audiences, perceives this tone as funny.It can also be argued that the poem’s rollicking rhythm contributes to a sense of angriness, and in truth, the poem can be read in that fashion. On the other hand, the joyful, rollicking rhythm can be seen as ironic. Combining both anger and humor creates this ironic situation. The speaker produces copious amounts of sarcasm throughout the poem, even though; some might interpret it as an avoidable situation. When reading a poem, one must understand the complexity of each word, in order to understand the tone. The word choice of “A Glass of Beer” has been stragetically placed in order to convey a certain tone to the reader.While the tone of “A Glass of Beer” can be interpreted as angry, by examining Stephen’s choice of words closely to interpret the meaning of their images and sounds, it is also plausible to hear an entirely different tone. I believe “A Glass of Beer” employs the voice of an old, sardonic Irishman talking about a bar scene in which he is interpreting his point of view, of the lady, to the reader. The speaker uses an angry tone in order to be comical at the same time. ...
