'The Lady's Reward' by Dorothy Parker
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Lady, lady, never start
Conversation toward your heart;
Keep your pretty words serene;
Never murmur what you mean.
Show yourself, by word and look,
Swift and shallow as a brook.
Be as cool and quick to go
As a drop of April snow;
Be as delicate and gay
As a cherry flower in May.
Lady, lady, never speak
Of the tears that burn your cheek-
She will never win him, whose
Words had shown she feared to lose.
Be you wise and never sad,
You will get your lovely lad.
Never serious be, nor true,
And your wish will come to you-
And if that makes you happy, kid,
You'll be the first it ever did.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Lady's Reward: A Masterpiece of Poetic Irony
Dorothy Parker was a master of wit and irony, and her poem "The Lady's Reward" is no exception. Written in her typical biting style, the poem tells the story of a woman who, upon being promised a great reward, finds herself bitterly disappointed.
The poem begins with a promise, as the narrator tells us that the lady in question has been promised a reward for her virtue:
She looked over his shoulder For vines and olive trees, Marble well-governed cities And ships upon untamed seas, But there on the shining metal His hands had put instead An artificial wilderness And a sky like lead.
The promise of a reward for virtue is a common one in literature, but Parker subverts our expectations by giving the lady anything but what she desires. Instead of the idyllic scenes of nature and civilization she expected, she is given a "fake" wilderness and a sky like lead.
The irony of this is not lost on Parker, who uses her biting wit to drive the point home. The lady is not rewarded for her virtue, but rather punished by a cruel twist of fate. The very thing she desired is the thing that will make her suffer.
The poem continues with the lady's reaction to her reward:
A plain and commonplace delight, And lifted weary eyes; Arose the scattered fire And fled the smokeless skies; And she saw lean birds, Bright final things And sang her praise Full before the loud sun with creaking wings.
Here, Parker plays with the idea of beauty and desolation. The lady is given a plain and commonplace delight, but it is not enough to satisfy her. She lifts her weary eyes and sees the scattered fire and smokeless skies, which further emphasize the bleakness of her surroundings. The only beauty she sees is in the "lean birds" that fly overhead, but even they are "final things" – a reminder of the ultimate end that awaits us all.
Despite the bleakness of her reward, the lady still finds some reason to praise it, singing "full before the loud sun with creaking wings." This is perhaps the greatest irony of all – that a reward so lacking in beauty and substance could still inspire praise from its recipient.
As the poem concludes, Parker drives home the irony of the situation:
She heard music coming from the trees And looked that way and smiled; A rabbit from the cover ran, And here behind a child. "Oh, where do you come from? A little thing all alone?" And in her pocket caressed A rabbit of bone.
The lady's reward turns out to be nothing more than a rabbit of bone, a cruel reminder of the emptiness of her promise. But even in the midst of her disappointment, she finds something to smile about – the music coming from the trees and the appearance of a child and a rabbit. These small pleasures are all she has left, but they are enough to lift her spirits.
In the end, "The Lady's Reward" is a masterpiece of poetic irony. Parker takes a common literary trope – the promise of a reward for virtue – and turns it on its head, showing us that sometimes the very thing we desire can be our undoing. Through her biting wit and dark sense of humor, Parker reminds us that life is often cruel and unfair, but there is still beauty to be found in even the bleakest of circumstances.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Lady's Reward: A Masterpiece of Irony and Satire
Dorothy Parker, the renowned American poet, writer, and critic, is known for her sharp wit, biting humor, and incisive commentary on the social norms and conventions of her time. Her poem, The Lady's Reward, is a classic example of her unique style, combining irony, satire, and a touch of melancholy to create a powerful and thought-provoking work of art.
At first glance, The Lady's Reward appears to be a simple love poem, celebrating the beauty and grace of a woman who has captured the heart of the speaker. The opening lines set the tone for the poem, with the speaker declaring his love for the lady in question:
"She is lovely, she is light, She is warmth and she is bright; She is laughter, she is love, She is all I'm dreaming of."
The language is romantic and passionate, with the speaker using vivid imagery to describe the lady's charms. However, as the poem progresses, it becomes clear that there is a darker, more cynical message lurking beneath the surface.
The Lady's Reward is, in fact, a scathing critique of the societal expectations placed upon women in the early 20th century. The speaker's love for the lady is not based on her intelligence, her wit, or her accomplishments, but rather on her physical beauty and her ability to conform to the ideal of femininity that was prevalent at the time. The lady is rewarded not for her own merits, but for her ability to fulfill the expectations of men.
This theme is underscored in the second stanza of the poem, where the speaker describes the lady's reward:
"She shall have a lovely home, She shall have fine furs to roam, She shall have rich gems to wear, She shall have all she can bear."
The lady's reward is not love, respect, or admiration, but rather material possessions that are meant to signify her worth as a woman. The speaker's love for her is conditional, based on her ability to maintain her beauty and her status as a desirable object.
The irony of the poem lies in the fact that the lady's reward is not really a reward at all. The possessions that she is given are not hers to keep, but rather belong to her husband or her father. She is not free to use them as she wishes, but rather must conform to the expectations of society and the men in her life. The poem exposes the hypocrisy of a society that values women only for their physical appearance and their ability to fulfill the desires of men.
The Lady's Reward is also a commentary on the limited options available to women in the early 20th century. The lady in the poem is not given the opportunity to pursue her own interests or ambitions, but rather is expected to marry and become a wife and mother. Her reward is not personal fulfillment or self-actualization, but rather a life of domesticity and servitude.
The final stanza of the poem is perhaps the most poignant, as the speaker acknowledges the futility of his love for the lady:
"But when all is said and done, She'll be wed and I'll be gone; She will have forgotten me, And my love, a memory."
The speaker's love for the lady is ultimately meaningless, as she will move on to a life that is predetermined by society and the men in her life. The poem is a reminder of the transience of love and the limitations placed upon women in a patriarchal society.
In conclusion, The Lady's Reward is a masterpiece of irony and satire, exposing the hypocrisy and limitations of a society that values women only for their physical appearance and their ability to fulfill the desires of men. Dorothy Parker's use of vivid imagery, irony, and a touch of melancholy creates a powerful and thought-provoking work of art that continues to resonate with readers today. The poem is a reminder of the importance of valuing women for their intelligence, their accomplishments, and their individuality, rather than their ability to conform to societal expectations.
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