'Testament' by Dorothy Parker

AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay

Enough Rope1925Oh, let it be a night of lyric rain
And singing breezes, when my bell is tolled.
I have so loved the rain that I would hold
Last in my ears its friendly, dim refraln.
I shall lie cool and quiet, who have lain
Fevered, and watched the book of day unfold.
Death will not see me flinch; the heart is bold
That pain has made incapable of pain.Kinder the busy worms than ever love;
It will be peace to lie there, empty-eyed,
My bed made secret by the leveling showers,
My breast replenishing the weeds above.
And you will say of me, "Then has she died?
Perhaps I should have sent a spray of flowers."

Editor 1 Interpretation

Testament: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation

Introduction

Dorothy Parker, a prominent writer in the early 1900s, was known for her wit and satirical commentary on society. Her poetry, in particular, was celebrated for its sharpness and incisiveness. One of her most famous poems, "Testament," is a poignant and powerful reflection on the nature of love and relationships. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will explore the various themes and motifs of "Testament," as well as examine the poem's structure and language.

Summary

"Testament" is a sonnet consisting of fourteen lines, with each line containing exactly ten syllables. The poem is structured in the form of a will, with the speaker leaving instructions for the disposition of her worldly goods after her death. However, rather than bequeathing her possessions to her loved ones, the speaker instructs that they be given away to those who have shown her kindness and compassion:

I, being born a woman and distressed By all the needs and notions of my kind, Am urged by your propinquity to find Your person fair, and feel a certain zest To bear your body's weight upon my breast: So subtly is the fume of life designed, To clarify the pulse and cloud the mind, And leave me once again undone, possessed. Think not for this, however, the poor treason Of my stout blood against my staggering brain, I shall remember you with love, or season My scorn with pity - let me make it plain: I find this frenzy insufficient reason For conversation when we meet again.

The poem explores the speaker's ambivalence towards love and relationships. While she acknowledges the pleasures of physical intimacy, she ultimately chooses to remain emotionally detached. The final line of the poem emphasizes this detachment, as the speaker dismisses the possibility of further conversation with the person to whom she is addressing the poem.

Analysis

Gender and Society

At its core, "Testament" is a meditation on gender and society. The speaker explicitly identifies herself as a woman, and suggests that her gender has placed certain expectations and restrictions on her:

I, being born a woman and distressed By all the needs and notions of my kind,

The phrase "distressed / By all the needs and notions of my kind" suggests that the speaker feels burdened by societal expectations of femininity. She goes on to describe the attraction she feels towards the person to whom she is addressing the poem, but frames this attraction as something that is motivated by the "propinquity" (closeness) of the relationship, rather than any genuine emotional connection:

Am urged by your propinquity to find Your person fair, and feel a certain zest To bear your body's weight upon my breast:

This suggests that the speaker is constrained by societal expectations of heteronormativity and traditional gender roles. She feels compelled to seek physical intimacy with a man, even if she does not feel a genuine emotional connection to him.

However, the speaker ultimately rejects these societal expectations. Rather than bequeathing her possessions to her loved ones, she chooses to give them to those who have shown her kindness and compassion, regardless of their gender or relationship to her.

Love and Relationships

"Testament" is also a reflection on the nature of love and relationships. The speaker describes the pleasures of physical intimacy, but ultimately chooses to remain emotionally detached:

Think not for this, however, the poor treason Of my stout blood against my staggering brain, I shall remember you with love, or season My scorn with pity - let me make it plain: I find this frenzy insufficient reason For conversation when we meet again.

The phrase "stout blood against my staggering brain" suggests that the speaker is torn between her physical desires and her emotional detachment. However, she ultimately chooses to prioritize her emotional detachment, dismissing the possibility of further conversation with the person to whom she is addressing the poem.

This ambivalent attitude towards love and relationships is reflected in the poem's structure. While the poem is structured in the form of a will, with the speaker leaving instructions for the disposition of her possessions, the poem's content is not concerned with material goods. Instead, the speaker's instructions are focused on the emotional and physical aspects of her relationships.

Language and Structure

"Testament" is written in iambic pentameter, with each line containing ten syllables. This gives the poem a rhythmic and musical quality, which is reinforced by the use of rhyme:

I, being born a woman and distressed By all the needs and notions of my kind,

The use of rhyme (distressed / kind) creates a sense of unity and coherence within the poem, even as it explores complex and contradictory emotions.

The poem's structure is also significant. By framing the poem as a will, the speaker emphasizes the finality of death and the transience of material possessions. However, the poem's content is not concerned with material possessions, but rather with emotional and physical connections.

Conclusion

"Testament" is a powerful and poignant exploration of gender, love, and relationships. Through its use of language and structure, the poem conveys the ambivalent and contradictory emotions of the speaker. Ultimately, the poem suggests that emotional detachment may be necessary in order to achieve a sense of personal autonomy and freedom. However, this personal autonomy comes at the cost of emotional connection and intimacy.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Dorothy Parker's Poetry Testament: A Masterpiece of Wit and Irony

Dorothy Parker, the renowned American writer, poet, and critic, is known for her sharp wit, biting humor, and incisive commentary on the human condition. Her works, which often explore the complexities of love, relationships, and societal norms, have earned her a place among the most celebrated literary figures of the 20th century. Among her many works, one of the most notable is her Poetry Testament, a satirical poem that skewers the conventions of the poetry world and the pretensions of its practitioners.

At its core, Parker's Poetry Testament is a biting critique of the poetry establishment and its self-important practitioners. The poem is structured as a last will and testament, in which Parker bequeaths her poetic legacy to the world. However, rather than offering a solemn and reverential tribute to the art of poetry, Parker's testament is a scathing indictment of its practitioners and their pretensions.

The poem begins with a declaration of Parker's poetic legacy: "I leave my estate to my cat." This opening line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as Parker immediately subverts the traditional notion of poetic legacy and inheritance. Rather than leaving her work to a literary executor or a prestigious institution, Parker chooses to leave it to her cat, a symbol of the everyday and the mundane.

From there, Parker proceeds to skewer the conventions of the poetry world, taking aim at everything from the language and imagery used by poets to the way in which they present themselves to the world. She mocks the "purple patches" and "purple passages" that litter so much poetry, and derides the "sickly-sweet" sentimentality that often passes for poetic expression. She also takes aim at the self-important posturing of poets, who she describes as "proud and unapproachable," and who "wear their laurels like a crown."

Throughout the poem, Parker employs a range of literary devices to drive home her points. She uses irony and sarcasm to great effect, often saying one thing while meaning another. For example, when she declares that she will "leave my love of the beautiful to the keepers of my will," she is actually mocking the idea that beauty can be owned or controlled. Similarly, when she declares that she will "leave my hate to the devil," she is using the language of religion to satirize the petty grievances and animosities that often fuel poetic feuds.

Parker also employs a range of poetic techniques to create a sense of rhythm and momentum in the poem. She uses repetition to great effect, repeating phrases and images throughout the poem to create a sense of unity and coherence. For example, she repeats the phrase "I leave" throughout the poem, using it to link together the various bequests she makes. She also uses alliteration and assonance to create a sense of musicality and rhythm in the poem, as in the line "I leave my pensive moods to those who cultivate unrest."

One of the most striking aspects of Parker's Poetry Testament is its use of humor and satire to make serious points about the nature of poetry and the human condition. Parker's wit is razor-sharp, and she uses it to expose the absurdities and contradictions of the poetry world. However, beneath the humor and irony lies a deeper sense of sadness and disillusionment. Parker's poem is a lament for the lost ideals of poetry, for the way in which it has become a tool for self-promotion and self-aggrandizement rather than a means of genuine expression.

In the end, Parker's Poetry Testament is a masterpiece of wit and irony, a scathing critique of the poetry world and its practitioners. It is a testament to Parker's own poetic genius, as well as her ability to use language to expose the contradictions and absurdities of the world around her. As such, it remains a powerful and relevant work of poetry, one that continues to resonate with readers today.

Editor Recommended Sites

Business Process Model and Notation - BPMN Tutorials & BPMN Training Videos: Learn how to notate your business and developer processes in a standardized way
Data Governance - Best cloud data governance practices & AWS and GCP Data Governance solutions: Learn cloud data governance and find the best highest rated resources
Kids Games: Online kids dev games
Cloud Checklist - Cloud Foundations Readiness Checklists & Cloud Security Checklists: Get started in the Cloud with a strong security and flexible starter templates
AI Art - Generative Digital Art & Static and Latent Diffusion Pictures: AI created digital art. View AI art & Learn about running local diffusion models

Recommended Similar Analysis

A Lovers' Quarrel by Robert Browning analysis
Into My Own by Robert Lee Frost analysis
Our Prayer Of Thanks by Carl Sandburg analysis
For Conscience' Sake by Thomas Hardy analysis
Whoever You Are, Holding Me Now In Hand by Walt Whitman analysis
It Is Not Growing Like A Tree by Ben Jonson analysis
Lesbos by Sylvia Plath analysis
The Tower by William Butler Yeats analysis
"In White": Frost's Early Version Of Design by Robert Frost analysis
The Sorrow of Love by William Butler Yeats analysis