Renunciation

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



Chloe's hair, no doubt, was brighter;
Lydia's mouth more sweetly sad;
Hebe's arms were rather whiter;
Languorous-lidded Helen had

Eyes more blue than e'er the sky was;
Lalage's was subtler stuff;
Still, you used to think that I was
Fair enough.

Now you're casting yearning glances
At the pale Penelope;
Cutting in on Claudia's dances;
Taking Iris out to tea.
Iole you find warm-hearted;
Zoe's cheek is far from rough-
Don't you think it's time we parted? . . .
Fair enough!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 19, 2023

27 sec read
408

Quick analysis:

Scheme abab cdcD xexefdfD
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 466
Words 81
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 8

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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    "Renunciation" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/8217/renunciation>.

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