'Portrait Of The Artist As A Prematurely Old Man' by Ogden Nash
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It is common knowledge to every schoolboy and even every Bachelor of Arts,
That all sin is divided into two parts.
One kind of sin is called a sin of commission, and that is very important,
And it is what you are doing when you are doing something you ortant,
And the other kind of sin is just the opposite and is called a sin of omissionand is equally bad in the eyes of all right-thinking people, fromBilly Sunday to Buddha,
And it consists of not having done something you shuddha.
I might as well give you my opinion of these two kinds of sin as long as,in a way, against each other we are pitting them,
And that is, don't bother your head about the sins of commission becausehowever sinful, they must at least be fun or else you wouldn't becommitting them.
It is the sin of omission, the second kind of sin,
That lays eggs under your skin.
The way you really get painfully bitten
Is by the insurance you haven't taken out and the checks you haven't added upthe stubs of and the appointments you haven't kept and the bills youhaven't paid and the letters you haven't written.
Also, about sins of omission there is one particularly painful lack of beauty,
Namely, it isn't as though it had been a riotous red-letter day or night everytime you neglected to do your duty;
You didn't get a wicked forbidden thrill
Every time you let a policy lapse or forget to pay a bill;
You didn't slap the lads in the tavern on the back and loudly cry Whee,
Let's all fail to write just one more letter before we go home, and this roundof unwritten letters is on me.
No, you never get any fun
Out of things you haven't done,
But they are the things that I do not like to be amid,
Because the suitable things you didn't do give you a lot more trouble than theunsuitable things you did.
The moral is that it is probably better not to sin at all, but if some kind ofsin you must be pursuing,
Well, remember to do it by doing rather than by not doing.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Portrait of the Artist as a Prematurely Old Man
Introduction
"Portrait of the Artist as a Prematurely Old Man" is a humorous and satirical poem by Ogden Nash. In this poem, Nash presents a portrait of an artist who is old before his time. The poem is a commentary on the life and career of an artist, and it reflects the frustration and disillusionment that many artists feel. The poem is characterized by Nash's wit, his use of wordplay, and his ability to capture the essence of the human condition in a few lines of verse.
Literary Criticism
The poem "Portrait of the Artist as a Prematurely Old Man" is a masterpiece of satire and wit. Nash's use of irony and exaggeration is highly effective in creating a portrait of an artist who is disillusioned and frustrated with the world around him. The poem is divided into three stanzas, each of which presents a different aspect of the artist's life.
In the first stanza, Nash presents the artist as a man who is prematurely old. The artist is described as someone who has lost his youthful vigor and energy. He is depicted as someone who is tired and jaded, someone who has seen too much of the world and is no longer impressed by it. Nash uses irony to great effect in this stanza, as he contrasts the artist's physical age with his mental state. The artist is old before his time, not because of his physical age, but because of his disillusionment with the world.
In the second stanza, Nash focuses on the artist's career. He presents the artist as someone who is struggling to find his place in the world of art. The artist is depicted as someone who is constantly searching for inspiration, but who is unable to find it. Nash uses wordplay to great effect in this stanza, as he contrasts the artist's desire for inspiration with the mundane reality of his life. The artist is a man who is constantly searching for the spark of creativity, but who is unable to find it in the drudgery of everyday life.
In the third stanza, Nash presents the artist as someone who is frustrated with the world around him. The artist is depicted as someone who is disillusioned with society, and who feels out of place in the world. Nash uses irony to great effect in this stanza, as he contrasts the artist's desire for change with the stagnant reality of the world around him. The artist is a man who wants to change the world, but who is unable to do so because of the apathy and indifference of those around him.
Interpretation
"Portrait of the Artist as a Prematurely Old Man" is a commentary on the life and career of an artist. Nash presents the artist as someone who is disillusioned and frustrated with the world around him. The poem is a reflection of the artist's struggle to find his place in the world of art, and his frustration with the mundanity of everyday life.
The first stanza of the poem presents the artist as someone who is old before his time. Nash uses irony to great effect in this stanza, as he contrasts the artist's physical age with his mental state. The artist is depicted as someone who has lost his youthful vigor and energy, someone who is tired and jaded. This stanza reflects the artist's disillusionment with the world around him, and his frustration with the limitations of his own body.
The second stanza of the poem focuses on the artist's career. Nash presents the artist as someone who is struggling to find his place in the world of art. The artist is depicted as someone who is constantly searching for inspiration, but who is unable to find it. Nash uses wordplay to great effect in this stanza, as he contrasts the artist's desire for inspiration with the mundane reality of his life. The artist is a man who is constantly searching for the spark of creativity, but who is unable to find it in the drudgery of everyday life. This stanza reflects the artist's frustration with the limitations of his own creativity, and his desire to break free from the constraints of the world around him.
The third stanza of the poem presents the artist as someone who is frustrated with the world around him. The artist is depicted as someone who is disillusioned with society, and who feels out of place in the world. Nash uses irony to great effect in this stanza, as he contrasts the artist's desire for change with the stagnant reality of the world around him. The artist is a man who wants to change the world, but who is unable to do so because of the apathy and indifference of those around him. This stanza reflects the artist's frustration with the limitations of his own power, and his desire to make a difference in the world.
Conclusion
"Portrait of the Artist as a Prematurely Old Man" is a humorous and satirical poem that reflects the frustration and disillusionment that many artists feel. Nash's use of irony, wordplay, and exaggeration is highly effective in creating a portrait of an artist who is disillusioned and frustrated with the world around him. The poem is a commentary on the life and career of an artist, and it reflects the struggle that many artists face in finding their place in the world of art. Overall, "Portrait of the Artist as a Prematurely Old Man" is a masterpiece of wit and satire, and it is a testament to Nash's skill as a poet.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Poetry Portrait Of The Artist As A Prematurely Old Man: A Masterpiece of Satire
Ogden Nash, the American poet, is known for his witty and humorous poems that often poke fun at human foibles. One of his most famous works, "Poetry Portrait Of The Artist As A Prematurely Old Man," is a satirical masterpiece that takes a humorous look at the life of an artist. In this article, we will analyze and explain this poem in detail, exploring its themes, structure, and literary devices.
The poem begins with the speaker describing himself as a "prematurely old man," who has "been a prodigy in reverse since seventeen." This opening line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as the speaker uses humor to poke fun at himself and his artistic aspirations. The use of the word "prodigy" is particularly interesting, as it suggests that the speaker was once a talented artist, but has since lost his creative spark.
The next few lines of the poem describe the speaker's physical appearance, which is also used to highlight his artistic struggles. He is described as having "a bald spot which he covers with a beret," and "a paunch which he covers with a cape." These descriptions are both humorous and poignant, as they suggest that the speaker is trying to hide his physical flaws in order to maintain his artistic image.
The poem then moves on to describe the speaker's artistic struggles in more detail. He is described as having "written one or two long poems which are unbearable to read," and as having "painted landscapes which make people dizzy." These descriptions are both funny and sad, as they suggest that the speaker has failed to achieve the artistic success he once dreamed of.
The poem then takes a more serious turn, as the speaker reflects on the nature of art and creativity. He describes himself as "a failure in a mediocre age," and suggests that his artistic struggles are a result of the cultural climate in which he lives. He also suggests that true art is something that cannot be taught or learned, but must come from within.
The final lines of the poem are perhaps the most poignant, as the speaker reflects on his own mortality. He describes himself as "a dying man," and suggests that his artistic struggles are ultimately insignificant in the face of death. This final image is both sad and profound, as it suggests that the speaker has come to terms with his own mortality and the limitations of his artistic abilities.
In terms of structure, the poem is written in free verse, with no set rhyme or meter. This lack of structure reflects the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the speaker's artistic struggles. The poem is also divided into four stanzas, each of which focuses on a different aspect of the speaker's life and artistic struggles.
In terms of literary devices, the poem makes use of several techniques to create its satirical tone. One of the most notable is the use of irony, as the speaker describes himself as a failed artist while also using humor to poke fun at his own shortcomings. The poem also makes use of hyperbole, as the speaker exaggerates his physical flaws and artistic failures for comedic effect.
Overall, "Poetry Portrait Of The Artist As A Prematurely Old Man" is a masterful work of satire that uses humor to explore the struggles of the artist. Through its use of irony, hyperbole, and free verse structure, the poem creates a poignant and humorous portrait of a man who has failed to achieve his artistic dreams. Despite its satirical tone, however, the poem also contains a deeper message about the nature of art and creativity, and the importance of coming to terms with one's own mortality.
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