'The White Lady' by Dorothy Parker
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I cannot rest, I cannot rest
In straight and shiny wood,
My woven hands upon my breast--
The dead are all so good!
The earth is cool across their eyes;
They lie there quietly.
But I am neither old nor wise;
They do not welcome me.
Where never I walked alone before,
I wander in the weeds;
And people scream and bar the door,
And rattle at their beads.
We cannot rest, we never rest
Within a narrow bed
Who still must love the living best--
Who hate the pompous dead!
Editor 1 Interpretation
The White Lady by Dorothy Parker: An Analysis
As I sit down to write about Dorothy Parker's poem "The White Lady," I can't help but feel a sense of excitement. This is one of my favorite poems, and I'm eager to share my thoughts and interpretations of it with you.
The Poem
First, let's take a look at the poem itself. "The White Lady" is a short, four-stanza poem that tells the story of a ghostly woman who haunts a castle. The first stanza sets the scene:
The white mist creeps from the cold sea over the slender
trees,
Covering the grey walls, treading the sandy paths
Under the flickering lamps.
Night in the gardens; night and a sea-mist that clings to the
gardens
She, walking in the garden, heard the growl
Of drowsing lions couched beneath the trees.
Right away, we get a sense of the eerie, mysterious atmosphere that pervades the poem. The white mist, the flickering lamps, and the drowsing lions all contribute to this sense of unease.
The second stanza introduces the titular White Lady:
She walked in beauty like the night, but none
Shall walk in beauty so again.
The lonely garden paths are most forlorn,
And the statues are white with rain.
Here we see that the White Lady is a beautiful figure, but also a lonely one. The statues being "white with rain" seems to suggest that she has been haunting the castle for a long time.
The third stanza describes the White Lady's haunting:
The gardener's spade clangs sharp on unseen stones;
Tumbled from ruin, the great stones lie,
Quoits for the dead to play with, in the sunshine.
And where the chiselled names
Were blurred out by wind and rain and weed,
The bones of her who walked in beauty
Lie whitening, bleaching.
This stanza is perhaps the most macabre of the poem. The image of the gardener's spade hitting unseen stones suggests that the White Lady's bones are buried there. The reference to the "quoits for the dead to play with" is a particularly haunting image.
Finally, the fourth stanza brings the poem to a close:
The White Lady walks in a cold, cold place,
She is wrapped in the mist as in a garment.
The gardener is weary, his feet on the stones,
And the spade sinks into the damp earth.
But she will walk there forever,
She who walked in beauty.
She will walk there forever,
Alone with her beauty.
Here we see that the White Lady is destined to haunt the castle forever. The repetition of "She will walk there forever" emphasizes the sense of eternal loneliness that pervades the poem.
Interpretation
So what does it all mean? What is Dorothy Parker trying to convey with "The White Lady"?
One interpretation is that the poem is a commentary on the fleeting nature of beauty. The White Lady is described as walking in beauty "like the night," but ultimately her beauty is unable to save her from her lonely fate. The reference to the statues being "white with rain" suggests that the castle itself is decaying, and that everything, even beauty, is subject to the ravages of time.
Another interpretation is that the poem is a commentary on the futility of human existence. The White Lady's bones are buried beneath the garden, and she is destined to haunt the castle forever. The image of the gardener's spade hitting unseen stones suggests that the dead are always present, even when we can't see them. The reference to the "quoits for the dead to play with" suggests that death is a game, and that we are all ultimately powerless against it.
Yet another interpretation is that the poem is a commentary on the human desire for immortality. The White Lady is doomed to haunt the castle forever, but she is also immortalized through her beauty. The repetition of "She who walked in beauty" suggests that this is how she will be remembered, and that her beauty is her legacy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "The White Lady" is a haunting, mysterious poem that offers multiple interpretations. Whether you see it as a commentary on the fleeting nature of beauty, the futility of human existence, or the human desire for immortality, there is no denying the power and beauty of Dorothy Parker's words. This is a poem that will stay with you long after you've read it, a testament to the enduring power of poetry itself.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The White Lady: A Haunting Poem by Dorothy Parker
Dorothy Parker, the renowned American writer, poet, and critic, is known for her sharp wit, biting humor, and insightful observations on life and love. Her poem, "The White Lady," is a haunting and evocative piece that explores the themes of loss, grief, and the supernatural. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem in detail, exploring its meaning, structure, and literary devices.
The poem begins with a vivid and eerie description of a ghostly figure, the titular White Lady, who appears to the speaker in the dead of night:
"In the ghostly, gleaming light, In the dead of a cold, cold night, There glides a lady white— The White Lady."
The use of alliteration and repetition in this stanza creates a sense of foreboding and sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The image of a ghostly figure gliding through the darkness is a classic trope of Gothic literature, and Parker uses it to great effect here.
The second stanza introduces the speaker's relationship with the White Lady, who is revealed to be a symbol of the speaker's lost love:
"She was always cold to me, The White Lady; She left me in my misery, The White Lady."
Here, Parker uses the White Lady as a metaphor for the speaker's lost love, who has left her feeling cold and alone. The repetition of the phrase "The White Lady" emphasizes the speaker's fixation on this figure and the emotional weight she carries.
The third stanza introduces a sense of longing and regret, as the speaker reflects on the past and wonders if things could have been different:
"Could I but see her face, The White Lady, I'd clasp her in my cold embrace, The White Lady."
The use of the conditional tense "could" suggests that the speaker knows this is impossible, but still longs for it nonetheless. The image of the speaker's "cold embrace" reinforces the sense of loss and grief that permeates the poem.
The fourth stanza introduces a sense of mystery and ambiguity, as the speaker wonders about the true nature of the White Lady:
"Is she a ghost, or is she flesh, The White Lady? I cannot tell, but I confess I love the White Lady."
The use of rhetorical questions in this stanza creates a sense of uncertainty and ambiguity, as the speaker grapples with the nature of the White Lady. The repetition of the phrase "The White Lady" reinforces the speaker's fixation on this figure, while the admission of love adds a layer of complexity to the poem.
The final stanza brings the poem full circle, as the speaker returns to the image of the White Lady gliding through the darkness:
"In the ghostly, gleaming light, In the dead of a cold, cold night, There glides a lady white— The White Lady."
The repetition of the opening stanza creates a sense of closure and finality, as the speaker accepts the presence of the White Lady in her life and the inevitability of loss and grief.
Overall, "The White Lady" is a haunting and evocative poem that explores the themes of loss, grief, and the supernatural. Parker's use of repetition, alliteration, and rhetorical questions creates a sense of foreboding and uncertainty, while the metaphor of the White Lady adds a layer of complexity and ambiguity to the poem. Through its vivid imagery and emotional depth, "The White Lady" remains a classic example of Parker's unique style and literary talent.
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