Ninon De Lenclos, On Her Last Birthday

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



So let me have the rouge again,
  And comb my hair the curly way.
The poor young men, the dear young men
  They'll all be here by noon today.

And I shall wear the blue, I think-
  They beg to touch its rippled lace;
Or do they love me best in pink,
  So sweetly flattering the face?

And are you sure my eyes are bright,
  And is it true my cheek is clear?
Young what's-his-name stayed half the night;
  He vows to cut his throat, poor dear!

So bring my scarlet slippers, then,
  And fetch the powder-puff to me.
The dear young men, the poor young men-
  They think I'm only seventy!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

35 sec read
155

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF AGAG
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 575
Words 114
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4

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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