Analysis of Now At Liberty

Dorothy Parker 1893 (Long Branch) – 1967 (New York City)



Little white love, your way you've taken;
Now I am left alone, alone.
Little white love, my heart's forsaken.
(Whom shall I get by telephone?)
Well do I know there's no returning;
Once you go out, it's done, it's done.
All of my days are gray with yearning.
(Nevertheless, a girl needs fun.)

Little white love, perplexed and weary,
Sadly your banner fluttered down.
Sullen the days, and dreary, dreary.
(Which of the boys is still in town?)
Radiant and sure, you came a-flying;
Puzzled, you left on lagging feet.
Slow in my breast, my heart is dying.
(Nevertheless, a girl must eat.)

Little white love, I hailed you gladly;
Now I must wave you out of sight.
Ah, but you used me badly, badly.
(Who'd like to take me out tonight?)
All of the blundering words I've spoken,
Little white love, forgive, forgive.
Once you went out, my heart fell, broken.
(Nevertheless, a girl must live.)


Scheme ABABCACA DEDECFCF DGDGAXAX
Poetic Form
Metre 101111110 11110101 101111010 1111110 111111010 11111111 111111110 0010111 101101010 10110101 100101010 11011101 1000111010 10111101 101111110 0010111 101111110 11111111 111111010 11111101 1101001110 10110101 111111110 0010111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 867
Words 165
Sentences 19
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 220
Words per stanza (avg) 52
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

51 sec read
90

Dorothy Parker

Dorothy Parker was an American poet, short story writer, critic and satirist, best known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. more…

All Dorothy Parker poems | Dorothy Parker Books

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