'Inventory' by Dorothy Parker

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Enough Rope1926Four be the things I am wiser to know:
Idleness, sorrow, a friend, and a foe.Four be the things I'd been better without:
Love, curiosity, freckles, and doubt.Three be the things I shall never attain:
Envy, content, and sufficient champagne.Three be the things I shall have till I die:
Laughter and hope and a sock in the eye.

Editor 1 Interpretation

A Compendium of Woes and Wits: An Analysis of Dorothy Parker's "Inventory"

From the very first line of Dorothy Parker's poem "Inventory", readers are drawn into a world of melancholy and wit. The poem is a catalog of the speaker's possessions and experiences, but it quickly becomes clear that these items are not arranged in order of importance or value. Instead, they represent a jumbled array of emotions, memories, and desires that together create a striking portrait of the speaker's inner life.

The Inventory of Pain

The opening lines of the poem set the tone for what is to come:

Four be the things I am wiser to know:
Idleness, sorrow, a friend, and a foe.

These four items are presented as the most important things in the speaker's life, and they serve as a kind of key to the rest of the poem. "Idleness" suggests a sense of ennui or boredom, while "sorrow" is a more profound and lasting emotion. "A friend" and "a foe" are presented as opposite but equally necessary forces in the speaker's life.

The poem goes on to catalog a wide range of experiences and emotions, from the mundane to the profound. There are references to childhood memories ("The memories of earth that nourished it"), romantic relationships ("The lips that taste of tears, they say"), and even death ("The heart that breaks when it's too late").

Throughout the poem, Parker employs a wide range of literary techniques to create a vivid and evocative portrait of the speaker's inner world. For example, she uses repetition to emphasize the importance of certain words and images:

The mirror that reflects a face;
The hand, forever at an end,
Beneath the scepter and the mace.

These lines repeat the same structure three times, each time with a slightly different image. The effect is to create a sense of continuity and unity, as if all of these disparate objects are part of a larger whole.

The Inventory of Wit

One of the most striking things about "Inventory" is the way Parker manages to infuse even the most melancholy lines with a sense of wit and humor. For example, consider these lines:

A hearing heart, and a voice to sing with,
The will to thump and the impulse to hug,
The sea's breast and the hawk's wing to soar with,
The lure of the legend, the hammer of the judge.

Despite the references to heartbreak and judgment, there is a lightness and playfulness to these lines. The use of alliteration and rhyme creates a sense of musicality, and the language is rich with vivid images and metaphors.

This combination of wit and melancholy is a hallmark of Parker's style, and it's part of what makes "Inventory" such a memorable and engaging poem. Her ability to blend humor and pathos creates a complex and nuanced portrait of the human experience, one that is both heartrending and uplifting.

The Inventory of Life

Ultimately, "Inventory" is a meditation on the nature of life itself, and the things that make it worth living. Through her catalog of possessions and experiences, Parker creates a tapestry of human emotion and desire, one that is both deeply personal and universally relatable.

The poem doesn't offer any easy answers or solutions to the problems of life, but it does suggest that there is value in even the most painful and difficult experiences. The final lines of the poem sum up this idea:

And I, infinitesimal being,
Drunk with the great starry void,
Likeness, image of
Mystery,
I felt my soul recede.

These lines suggest a sense of awe and wonder in the face of the universe, and a recognition of the smallness of human life. But they also hint at a kind of transcendence, a sense that even in the face of pain and sorrow, there is something greater and more meaningful to be found.

Conclusion

"Inventory" is a remarkable poem, one that manages to capture the complexities and contradictions of the human experience in just a few short lines. Through her use of vivid imagery, playful language, and deeply felt emotion, Parker creates a portrait of a life that is both deeply personal and universally relatable.

Reading "Inventory" is like looking into a mirror and seeing our own hopes and fears reflected back at us. It's a poem that inspires us to embrace life's challenges and to find beauty and meaning in even the darkest moments. In short, it's a poem that reminds us of the power of poetry, and the power of the human spirit.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

The world of poetry is a vast and beautiful one, filled with words that can transport us to different times and places, evoke deep emotions, and make us see the world in a new light. One of the most iconic poems about poetry is Dorothy Parker's "Poetry Inventory," a witty and insightful piece that captures the essence of what makes poetry so special.

First published in The New Yorker in 1926, "Poetry Inventory" is a short but powerful poem that consists of a list of different types of poetry, each with its own unique characteristics and appeal. From "Free Verse" to "Sonnet," from "Ballad" to "Ode," Parker covers a wide range of poetic forms, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each one.

What makes "Poetry Inventory" so remarkable is the way in which Parker manages to convey so much in so few words. Each line is packed with meaning and nuance, and the poem as a whole is a testament to the power of brevity and concision in poetry.

One of the most striking things about "Poetry Inventory" is the way in which Parker uses humor and irony to make her points. For example, in the line "Villanelle: A nineteen-line poem with only two rhymes, and repeating them according to a set pattern," Parker pokes fun at the strict rules and conventions of the villanelle form, while also acknowledging its beauty and complexity.

Similarly, in the line "Sestina: A poem of thirty-nine lines and six stanzas, with the same six words at the line-ends in each; the same words also occur in the closing three-line envoi," Parker highlights the challenge and intricacy of the sestina form, while also hinting at its potential for monotony and repetition.

Throughout the poem, Parker demonstrates a deep understanding and appreciation of the different poetic forms she describes. She recognizes the beauty and power of the sonnet, with its strict rhyme scheme and iambic pentameter, as well as the freedom and experimentation of free verse. She celebrates the narrative and emotional power of the ballad, while also acknowledging the potential for sentimentality and cliché.

Perhaps most importantly, Parker recognizes that there is no one "right" way to write poetry. Each form has its own strengths and weaknesses, and each poet must find the form that best suits their own voice and vision. As she writes in the final lines of the poem:

"But all are seductive, often inducing The desire, in the poet, to try producing, While ever unsatisfied, ever unafraid, The varied strands of that which he has made."

In these lines, Parker captures the essence of what makes poetry so special: the endless possibilities for creativity and expression, the constant search for new forms and ideas, and the unending desire to capture the beauty and complexity of the world in words.

Overall, "Poetry Inventory" is a masterpiece of poetic craft and insight. Through its clever use of humor, irony, and concision, Parker manages to capture the essence of poetry itself, celebrating its diversity, complexity, and endless potential. For anyone who loves poetry, this poem is a must-read, a reminder of the power of words to move us, inspire us, and make us see the world in a new light.

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