Analysis of Threnody

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



Lilacs blossom just as sweet
Now my heart is shattered.
If I bowled it down the street,
Who's to say it mattered?
If there's one that rode away
What would I be missing?
Lips that taste of tears, they say,
Are the best for kissing.

Eyes that watch the morning star
Seem a little brighter;
Arms held out to darkness are
Usually whiter.
Shall I bar the strolling guest,
Bind my brow with willow,
When, they say, the empty breast
Is the softer pillow?

That a heart falls tinkling down,
Never think it ceases.
Every likely lad in town
Gathers up the pieces.
If there's one gone whistling by
Would I let it grieve me?
Let him wonder if I lie;
Let him half believe me.


Scheme ABABCDCD EFEFGHGH IXIXJKJK
Poetic Form
Metre 110111 111110 1111101 111110 1111101 111110 1111111 101110 1110101 101010 1111101 100010 1110101 11111 1110101 101010 10111001 101110 10010101 101010 1111101 111111 1110111 111011
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 646
Words 128
Sentences 11
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 21
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 171
Words per stanza (avg) 42
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 23, 2023

39 sec read
186

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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