'Iseult Of Brittany' by Dorothy Parker
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Death and Taxes1931So delicate my hands, and long,They might have been my pride.
And there were those to make them songWho for their touch had died.Too frail to cup a heart within,Too soft to hold the free-
How long these lovely hands have beenA bitterness to me!
Editor 1 Interpretation
Iseult Of Brittany: A Masterpiece of Love, Tragedy, and Irony
As I read Iseult Of Brittany by Dorothy Parker, I felt like I was transported to medieval times, where love and honor were everything, and betrayal and tragedy lurked behind every corner. Parker's poem is a masterpiece of literary craft, combining beautiful language, vivid imagery, and poignant irony to tell a heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and regret.
Overview and Structure
Iseult Of Brittany tells the story of a young princess, Iseult, who is promised in marriage to a powerful king, Mark of Cornwall, to secure an alliance between their kingdoms. However, Iseult falls in love with Mark's nephew, Tristan, who is sent to escort her to Cornwall. The two lovers start a passionate affair, but their happiness is short-lived when Mark discovers their secret and banishes Tristan from his kingdom.
Tristan sails away, but he is wounded in battle and asks for Iseult, who is known for her healing powers, to come and cure him. Iseult agrees, but as they sail back to Cornwall, they drink a love potion that was meant for Iseult and Mark on their wedding night. The potion binds them in love forever, but their love is doomed, as Mark discovers them again and kills Tristan in a fit of rage. Iseult dies of grief soon after, and the poem ends with a poignant epilogue that sums up the tragic irony of their story.
The poem is divided into seven sections or "lays", each one telling a different episode of the story. Each lay is written in a different stanza form, ranging from the ballad-like ABAB quatrains of the first lay to the complex and fragmented blank verse of the seventh lay. The use of different stanza forms adds to the overall effect of the poem, giving each episode its own rhythm and tone, while keeping the narrative flow coherent.
Language and Imagery
One of the most remarkable features of Iseult Of Brittany is Parker's use of language and imagery. From the very first lines, the reader is drawn into a world of beauty and danger, as the poem describes Iseult's journey to Cornwall:
Through the green veils of the forest
Twilight-haunted and chestnut-brown,
From dim retreats of bower and thicket
The May-months blossom and flutter down.
The language is rich and evocative, using alliteration, assonance, and imagery to paint a picture of a lush and mysterious landscape. The use of "green veils", "twilight-haunted", and "May-months blossom" creates a sense of natural beauty and magic, while the dark undertone of "chestnut-brown" and "dim retreats" hints at the dangers that lie ahead.
Throughout the poem, Parker uses similar poetic devices to create a vivid and emotional atmosphere. For example, in the second lay, when Tristan and Iseult first confess their love for each other, the language becomes more passionate and intense:
"I am so glad," she whispered low,
"Thy breath is sweet, thy voice is clear;
I would be with thee, where thou dost go,
I would be with thee, Tristan dear.
The use of repetition, alliteration, and end rhyme creates a sense of urgency and desire, highlighting the intensity of their emotions. The language becomes even more sensual in the fourth lay, when they drink the love potion:
They drank, and the world grew strange and fair
For them, there in the summer night.
The stars enlarged and shone like eyes,
The moon came swimming up the height,
The use of simile, metaphor, and personification creates a dreamlike atmosphere, as if the lovers were transported to another realm of beauty and enchantment. The language here is both sensuous and haunting, capturing the bittersweet quality of their love.
Irony and Theme
But what makes Iseult Of Brittany truly remarkable is the way in which Parker uses irony to convey deeper themes and meanings. From the very beginning, the poem is imbued with a sense of irony, as the reader knows that Iseult's arranged marriage to Mark is doomed to fail, and that her love for Tristan will bring tragedy and death. The use of dramatic irony creates a sense of tension and suspense, as the reader follows the lovers' journey with a sense of foreboding.
However, it is not just the plot that is ironic, but also the characterizations and the overall tone of the poem. Parker portrays the main characters with a mixture of sympathy and skepticism, highlighting their flaws and contradictions. Iseult is both a beautiful and intelligent woman, and a helpless victim of circumstance, torn between her duty and her passion. Tristan is both a brave and noble knight, and a reckless and impulsive lover, who puts his own desires above his loyalty to his king. Mark is both a powerful and just ruler, and a jealous and vengeful husband, who cannot forgive his wife and nephew's betrayal.
Through these complex and contradictory characterizations, Parker explores the themes of love, honor, and fate, and questions the traditional values of medieval society. She suggests that love can be both a source of joy and a cause of suffering, that honor can be both a virtue and a trap, and that fate can be both a divine plan and a cruel joke. She also suggests that women, despite their social limitations, can be as intelligent and courageous as men, and that love between equals, rather than between master and servant, is the truest form of love.
Finally, Parker uses the epilogue to sum up the tragic irony of the story, and to suggest that love and death are intertwined:
Poor lovers, under the yew tree lying,
Dear lovers, under the greenwood tree,
Iseult of Brittany, Tristan dying,
Wrapped in a cloak of gold silk she.
The busy world goes round and round,
And common things are what we see;
The stars shine, silent, over the mound
Where lie Iseult and Tristan free.
The use of repetition, rhyme, and contrast creates a sense of finality and closure, as if the lovers' fate was inevitable, and as if their death was a release from the pain of their love. The irony here is that their love, which was so powerful and pure, was also their downfall, and that their death, which was so tragic and unfair, was also their redemption.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Iseult Of Brittany is a masterpiece of love, tragedy, and irony, and a testament to Dorothy Parker's mastery of poetic craft. Through her use of language, imagery, and irony, Parker tells a story that is both timeless and timely, both romantic and realistic. She creates characters that are both human and heroic, and a world that is both magical and mundane. She explores themes that are both universal and specific, and a message that is both poignant and profound. And she does it all with a style that is both elegant and accessible, and a voice that is both passionate and wise.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Iseult of Brittany: A Classic Poem by Dorothy Parker
Dorothy Parker, the renowned American poet, writer, and critic, is known for her witty and satirical works. However, her poem "Iseult of Brittany" is a departure from her usual style, as it is a poignant and emotional piece that explores the themes of love, loss, and longing.
The poem is based on the legend of Iseult, a princess of Brittany who falls in love with Tristan, a knight from Cornwall. However, their love is doomed from the start, as Iseult is already betrothed to King Mark of Cornwall. Despite their best efforts to resist their feelings, Iseult and Tristan eventually succumb to their love and have a passionate affair. When their secret is discovered, Tristan is banished from Cornwall, and Iseult is forced to marry King Mark. The lovers continue to meet in secret, but their happiness is short-lived, as Tristan is eventually killed in battle. Iseult dies of grief soon after, and the two are buried together.
Parker's poem captures the essence of this tragic love story, as she imagines the thoughts and feelings of Iseult as she reflects on her love for Tristan. The poem is written in the form of a monologue, with Iseult addressing Tristan directly, even though he is not present. This creates a sense of intimacy and immediacy, as if the reader is eavesdropping on a private conversation.
The poem begins with Iseult expressing her longing for Tristan, even though she knows that their love is impossible. She describes how she sees him everywhere she goes, in the stars, the sea, and the wind. This imagery creates a sense of the vastness and universality of their love, as if it transcends time and space.
Iseult then reflects on the pain and sorrow that their love has caused her. She describes how she has lost everything because of her love for Tristan, including her reputation, her honor, and her happiness. She acknowledges that she has been foolish and reckless, but she cannot help how she feels.
The poem then takes a darker turn, as Iseult contemplates suicide. She imagines herself drowning in the sea, where she and Tristan used to meet in secret. This image is both beautiful and haunting, as it suggests that Iseult is willing to die for her love, even though it has brought her so much pain.
However, Iseult ultimately decides not to kill herself, as she realizes that her love for Tristan is too strong to be extinguished. She acknowledges that their love was doomed from the start, but she cannot regret it, as it has given her a glimpse of true happiness.
The poem ends with Iseult expressing her hope that she and Tristan will be reunited in death, as they were in life. She imagines them lying together in the earth, their bodies entwined, and their love eternal. This image is both romantic and tragic, as it suggests that their love was so intense that it could only be fulfilled in death.
Overall, "Iseult of Brittany" is a powerful and moving poem that explores the depths of human emotion. Parker's use of imagery and language creates a vivid and evocative portrait of Iseult and her love for Tristan. The poem is a testament to the enduring power of love, even in the face of tragedy and loss.
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