Question

What irony is involved in the patriot’s words “I am safer so” in Robert Browning’s poem ‘The Patriot’?

Answer 1

Answer:

The patriot feels safe in the bosom of God. He feels that if he had died a year ago (when he was welcomed as a hero), God would not have cared for him but now when he has not been rewarded by his people, he was certain to be rewarded in heaven. Thus, even in intense defeat he finds something to console himself and believes that it is God who will reward him according to his true merits.