Final answer:
The irony of the title "Lies I Tell" lies in the mismatch between the expectation of dishonesty and the actual content of the poem, which may not contain lies. The literary device of irony is used to challenge the reader's perception of truthfulness. Also, the absence of details about a character might represent lies through omission rather than direct false statements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The title of "Lies I Tell" is ironic because the speaker in the poem may actually not be telling any lies at all. This creates a paradox where the title suggests dishonesty, yet the content doesn't clearly support this. Instead, what might appear as lies could be truths or simply unspoken thoughts.
Irony arises from the discrepancy between expectations set by the title and the reality within the poem. This kind of irony is a common literary device used to engage readers and provoke thought about the truthfulness of narrators and the reliability of our interpretations.
Writers often use multiple voices in their work, expressing a range of ideas and emotions through varied tones and perspectives. Sometimes, they even challenge their own assertions within the text.
The speaker may also be separate from the author, meaning we cannot directly equate the speaker's voice with the author's personal views. Therefore, we might never fully grasp the author's intentions or whether any true 'lies' are told in the poem.
The fact that the narrator avoids describing Doris Holbrook could suggest the lies are not in the form of direct statements but rather in the omission of truth, leaving the reader questioning what is not being said.
This observation once again highlights the complexity of interpretation and how a seemingly simple title can be deeply ironic and thought-provoking.