Wrapping it Up.

Well, it's sad that the year is almost over so I'm going to basically wrap up my thoughts on the topic of wit. Although I'm still not certain what exactly "wit" is, I can deffienetly tell you what I've learned about it's uses and what effects they have on the reader.
The first way in which I've seen wit is in referring to popular beliefs and twisting them around or presenting them from a less common angle. One can even go as far as saying wit inverts reality...which I must say, is hilarious. Using wit for this reason is seen in many of Parker's poems where she goes as far as mocks and satirizes beliefs and values in society.

Ahh and wonderful irony.... an especially important key in creating wit. I've mostly seen this so far in Lucky Jim where many of the situations the characters go through are controlled by ironic fate rather than their own actions. Amis also mockes human nature and the descrepancy between their beliefs and actions. Also, Parker uses words and their connotations in different ways that are not expected which also makes her poems quite witty. Amis is very blunt in his descriptions and the thoughts of his characters where it is very clear of the mockery.

Well wit, it's been interesting.

Another witty song.

"Mouthwash" by Kate Nash

This is my face
Covered in freckles
With the occasional spot
And some veins
This is my body
Covered in skin
And not all of it
You can see
And, this, is my mind
It goes over and over
The same old lines
And, this, is my brain
It's torturous analytical thoughts
Make me go insane
And I use mouthwash
Sometimes I floss
I got a family
And I drink cups of tea
I've got nostalgic pavements
I've got familiar faces
I've got a mixed-up memory
And I've got favourite places
And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night
And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night
And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night
And I hope everything's gonna be alright
And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night
And I hope everything's gonna be alright
This is my face
I've got a thousand opinions
And not the time to explain
And this is my body
And no matter how you try and disable it
Yes I'll still be here
And, this, is my mind
And although you try to infringe
You cannot confine
And, this, is my brain
And even if you try and hold me back
There's nothing that you can gain'
Cause I use mouthwash
Sometimes I floss
I've got a family
And I drink cups of tea
I've got nostalgic pavements
I've got familiar faces
I've got a mixed-up memory
And I've got favourite places
I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night
And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night
And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night
And I hope everything's gonna be alright
And I'm singing "oh oh" on a Friday night
And I hope everything's gonna be alright
Oh oh oh oh oh oh

So...I thought this song was witty. The way it intertwines her daily actions and the way she is with the actual situation she is involved in. She begins by describing her physical appearance like how her face is "covered in freckles". She then uses a playful tone to introduce how they are part of her body which some of it people can not see. She then introduces her mind which "goes over the same old lines" and her "brain" which produces "torturous analytical thoughts" that "make [her] go insane". This is interesting here because she uses a synedote...the "brain" represents her emotions and way of thinking as well as her "mind". Heh..it's interesting how she quickly shifts in the song (almost to show her inability to continue her thoughts about herself. She talks of "mouthwash" and "floss"ing...ordinary items that are used by most people...she goes on to further build her ethos or establish a common ground between her and the listener. By doing this, she is able to talk of "pavements" (which are also ordinary objects that most of us step on ..on the sidewalks) This is a creative twist here because she describes that these pavements are "nostalgic" personifying these objects. Through this personification, she is able to delve into the topic of her thoughts again by saying that she's got a "mixed-up memory" and "familiar faces" and "favorite places " to show her fast stream of thoughts. She continues to see say shes got "a thousand opinions" but so far, shes only been objective except for the subjective adjectives she used to describe the ordinary objects. "And not the time to explain" shows that shes so consumed in her ordinary life that she has to time to explain her feelings and thoughts. "No matter how you try and disable it", her body still does the same old things...consumed in her ordinary life. "Yes I'll still be here And, this, is my mind And although you try to infringe You cannot confine And, this, is my brain And even if you try and hold me back There's nothing that you can gain" --> It seems throughout the entire song, she is trying to hide the fact that she does not think or feel for herself but she knows she does. She covers it up by describing the different things around her that are part of her daily life. Towards the end, through witty observation and an empowering voice, she breaks free of this persona that he is too busy to feel and proves that she can and that no one can stop her no matter what.

Kingston! Chapter 6.

Hello. Well, this is quite an odd book...although I do find it quite comical so far and very witty. Chapter 6 starts off with Dixon and how he falls asleep only to wake up with many holes on his bed. The witty aspect in this chapter seems to be the concept of bad luck vs. the choices Dixon's makes and what he ends up experiencing. Interestingly enough, the language and description of the scene after the fire once he wakes up makes it seem as if he is the victim and had nothing to do with his terrible fate. Because he was drunk the night before, he forgets to put out his cigerrate and falls asleep...you'd think he'd blame himself for it but blames it on being beat up by some "secret police". This aspect of this chapter is somewhat witty because instead of exemplifying how humans tend to blame themselves for their mishappens, Dixon blames luck. Now, this is witty because society's beliefs are inverted here.

Simplicity...Love and Wit.

"Birds"
She was waiting at the station
He was getting off the train
He didn't have a ticket
So he had to bum through the barriers again
Well the ticket inspector saw him rushing through
He said "girl you don't know how much I missed you but
We'd better run 'cause I haven't got the funds to pay this fine."
She said "fine"
Well so they ran out of the station and jumped onto a bus
With two of yesterdays travel cards and two bottles of bud
And he said "you look well nice"
Well she was wearing a skirt
And he thought she looked nice
And yes, she didn't really care about anything else'
Cause she only wanted him to think that she looked nice
And he didBut he was looking at her, yeah all funny in the eye
She said "come on boy tell me what you're thinking
Now don't be shy."
He said alright, "I'll tryAll the stars up in the sky
And the leaves in the trees
All the broken bits that make you jump up
And grassy bits in between
All the matter in the world is how much I like you."
She said "what?"
He said "let me try and explain again
"Right, birds can fly so highAnd they can shit on your head
And they can almost fly into your eye
And make you feel so scared.
But when you look at them
And you see that they're beautiful
That's how I feel about youRight birds can fly so high
And they can shit on your head,
And they can almost fly into your eye
And make you feel well scared
But when you look at them
And you see that they're beautiful
That's how I feel about you
Yeah that's how I feel about you."
She said "what?"
He said "you"
She said "what are you talking about?"
He said "you"Right birds can fly so high
And they can shit on your head
And they can almost fly into your eye
And make you feel so scared.
But when you look at them
And you see that they're beautiful
That's how I feel about youRight birds can fly so high
And they can shit on your head
And they can almost fly into your eyeAnd make you feel well scared.
But when you look at them
And you see that they're beautiful
That's how I feel about you
Right, that's how I feel about you
She said "thanks, I like you too"
He said "cool"

Again, I'm going to use another song by Kate Nash to explain wit. I just thought it was really interesting how she did this...it's really facinating how she turned an ordinary topic of an exchange between two people who are attracted to one another and used how ordinarily they would admit this in comparison to a witty way in which the guy decides to admit this feelings. This is both ironic and different in the way in which she takes this oridinary topic and presents it in a different way uncommon to how it is usually done in society.
The first way Nash does this is the way she starts off by presenting the guy and how he arrived to see her but does not have his ticket so instead of greeting her fondly, they have to run away from the ticketmaster. The reader/listener can tell that she is not happy with this because she uses the reply of "fine" (which, of course, is a sign that it is obviously not 'fine' in the eyes of the lady here...men often do not realize that this word is a large indicator that a female is not happy...again, ironic here because Kate actually acknowledges this and somewhat mocks the guy for misunderstanding).
"Well so they ran out of the station and jumped onto a bus
With two of yesterdays travel cards and two bottles of bud" --> Ok, so Nash is very clever here because she uses a common situation but intertwines symbols (so that the reader does not necesserily pick up these symbols) in her song. The "station" here is something sedentary, not changing..yet there are always different people coming and going. This is important because the couple "jumped onto a bus" together...the next stage in their relationship. Interesting how a bus is a way of escape and is fast-moving...forshadowing here too? It seems from the second line here that their past together is something they hold on to and is about to blosson because she uses the word "bud" to show what was in their past. Cleverly, buds blossem...forshadowing their future relationship, maybe. It is quite clear that after this, she is in love with him as well because the speaker gives us an omnicsent perspective of the female character and the reader realizes that she values the guy's opinion and wants him to like her.
The guy begins to explain how he feels about the girl by comparing her to birds and different aspects of nature. The comical and ironic part here is that the reader would not expect the guy to be so poetic or metaphorical because he is the one who "escapes" to see the girl. The girl, on the other hand, pretends (or maybe really does not know) what the guy is talking about (which is the ironic part because again, she seems to be very alert and selective as to what to say to the guy). The interesting thing here is that afterwards, she replies (assuming she was only pretending to be ignorant) to state bluntly (after the guy's intricate and beautiful description of his love) by simply saying, "thanks, i like you too".
What is the purpose for Nash to present such a situation? Well, regardless of how either one of these two lovers explains...essentially, they both like each other. Whether they put it in metaphorical and beautiful poetry or just state it bluntly, the matter is essentially that they are in love. It's just that simple. It seems Nash wants to present how often people complicate matters when it comes to their emotions because they simply can not express themselves...although no matter how they do it, it's still a powerful feeling they need to tell the other person.

Updates on Wonder Wit.

So I've noticed so far...that wit is all about taking popular beliefs and twisting them around or presenting them from a less common angle or inverting reality (presented in many of Parker's poems where she satirizes or even goes as far as mocks society's values and opinions on different topics). Irony is especially key in creating wit (I have mostly seen this so far in Lucky Jim where many of the situations the characters go through are controlled by ironic fate rather than their own actions). Also, Parker uses words and their connotations in different ways that are not expected which also makes her poems quite witty. The thing is, so far, I have found that wit is all about mocking, poking fun at, or satirizing an aspect of life or character flaw.
That's what I've found so far....trying to get the jist of the big picture because i sometimes get hung up on just the details.
Stay tuned :)

Chapter 5: Lucky Jim

Chapter 5.

You know, I'm finding it really hard to describe wit as seen in these beginning chapters. I mean, it's pretty funny how Amis is using the characters and setting to play a part in the "wit" but exactly what makes these chapters witty, I'm not quite sure yet.
In this chapter, the humor lies in the fact that several characters are coming in and out of the house. A character strategy is the Dixon's is completely drunk and disoriented....he wants to enter the house again yet everywhere he tries to go (example, his kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom), he can't get access too because they are either closed or occupied. The IRONY (o yes, wit is created through irony a LOT in this novel) is that his drunkeness has nothing to do with his inability to get anywhere in his own house. Also, it's funny and ironic here because he sees certain things that he wishes he hadn't (ie the reader sees that Carol and Welch are having an intimate moment...having an affair? The reader does not know yet). They break the social profile because they don't belong to the same social class and during this time, it was not common to see such a moment. That's all the wit I saw in that chapter...It's interesting, so...irony presented through the characters' personalities and actions and the situations they go through is what makes up the wit so far in this novel. Stay tuned :)

Parker Poem

Just thought this was a cute poem, quite witty too, that I felt like TPCASTTing in between my reading of Lucky Jim, enjoy. I really liked this one...I dont think I did this one before.

"Men seldom make passes
At girls who wear glasses"

Title: News Item implies that the speaker has discovered a piece of information or fact that is universal or well known.
Paraphase: Men really don't look at girl who wear glasses.
Connotation:"item"-I thought this word played off the less commonly used definition for being a couple or being involved in a relationship. Maybe to introduce, subtely to the reader, what the theme or purpose of the poem is reflecting."men"-interesting contrast between how the speaker uses this word in comparison to when he uses "girls"; symbolizes maturity and different interest. Somewhat mocks manly attributes."seldom"-it's interesting how this word is used due to its change in formality. The rest of the diction used is more colloquial which makes this word stick out; almost uses the diction and level of formality that would be seen in a newspaper articule"girls"-makes them seem immature; not ready to take on a relationship or haven't even reached the age where it's ok to have one. (See referance to "men")"glasses"- metonyme usage here because I assume that "glasses" stands for a person of intellectual rigor which clearly is not what "men" are looking for in a female (yes, I said this in a sarcastic manner-please note =p because quite frankly, the speaker is trying to portray the exact same attitude as I have just stated)
Attitude: Mocking. I can not find a better way to describe this. This is built up through the diction and the way the "men" and "girls" are portrayed and the fact that the only reason men dont go for certain girls is because they are intelligent.
Shift: After the first sentance, which goes from an introduction to what men look for in women (you'd think it would express somethign positive or at least optimisitic and the reader would assume this because news articles don't usually state or slander the behavior of men) but takes an unexpected turn to reflect upon a hasty generalization that men do not go or look for intellectual women.Theme: Men are superficial and are not interested in women who have high intellectual rigor. (Maybe this theme plays a part in what was going on in society at the time. I'd have to research more because there is no background information)Title: I think the title is what creates the attitude and wit of the poem because the speaker is making his/her opinion sound like a fact although it truly is his/her own personal opinion.

Chapter 4: Lucky Jim

Chapter 4.

Well, interesting novel so far. So basically, Amis brings the characters together in the university at this faculty meeting to demonstrate and emphasize different qualities that the professors possess. I must say it's pretty witty how Amis does this because all of the characters, from Margeret to Dixon, dress, speak, and think differently...which emphasizes the different social barriers created by their society and their flaws. There are obviously major differences between Dixon and Welch because Dixon can neither read sheet music or discuss welfare in a manner tough enough to win an argument between the professors. Because of this, the reader sees the flaws in judging the intelligence strictly on social class because indeed Dixon still remains favorable to the reader because he is the one who is able to analyze everything going on around him. The wit is set up here in the way in which Amis presents members of different social classes and emphasizes different character flaws and materialistic desires.

Chapter 3: Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis

Chapter 3.

Ok, so this novel is really starting to get interesting here. At the beginning of this chapter, a student named Michie is introduced as being on of Dixon's students. Now, Dixon begins to analyze the ironies of life because this particular student of his commanded a huge troop and tank during World War II yet in the university, it seems Dixon has all the power over him even though when Dixon was involved in the war, he was in no battle action. This is the first student that Dixon interacts with (possibly the only one? I'm not sure, I'll need to read on still) and it seems they both value different things. Michie is ignorant of the fact that he believes he is getting the best education out there even though from Dixon's perspective/actions, the reader sees that he is by no means concerned about giving his students the best education but nearly plans his lessons according to how to get the three best looking girls to attend his class. Because of this, Amis introduces the irony in society and how different people are ignorant to how different things work (ie power and education). It seems that Amis is already mocking the structure and function of this university by first beginning by poking out the flaws and actions of the professors and then how the university functions as a whole. The aspect in this chapter that's been quite ironic so far is that all the reader sees is Dixon's point of view so it is not clear if the circumstances are presented through a reliable eye. His voice is quite like Stevens's from Remains of the Day--quite distorted in terms of what really may be happening. Interestingly enough, a character named Bill Atkinson who is somewhat similiar to our narrator, seems to be extremely "straightforward" and "honest" which are the qualities our narrator idolizes yet he himself is supposedly being that to the reader...or is he? It's ironic how our narrator strictly admires this one particular character even though none of the others like him.

Foundations: Wit and Music

Hello! This song came on the radio and just by the words, I found it pretty witty and layful so I decided to include it in my blog. The song is called, "Foundations" by Kate Nash. Here are some of the lyrics and I'll tell you why I find this song so witty:
"Foundations"
Thursday night,
everything's fine,
Except you've got that look in your eyes,
when I'm telling a story
And you find it boring,
you're thinking of something to say.
You'll go along with and then drop it
And you humiliate me,
in front of our friends.
Then I'll use that voice what you find annoyin'
And say something like
"intelligent input darlin' why don't you just have another beer then?"
Then you call me a b....
and everyone we're with will be embarrassed,and I won't give a s...
My fingertips are holding onto the cracks in our foundations,
and I know that I should let go,but I can't.
And everytime we fight I know it's not right,
everytime that you're upset and I smile
I know I should forget, but I can't.
You said I must eat so many lemons,
'cause I am so bitter.
I said "I'd rather be with your friends mate,'cause they are much fitter"
Yes it was childish and you got aggressive and I must admit that I was a bit scared,but it gives me thrills to wind you up......Oh my gosh, I cannot be bothered with this.
I hope I'm not stuck with this one.

I'd first like to start off with the big picture: It is quite obvious that the speaker is describing the small flirtatuous "fights" that take place between her and the guy she is referring to. It is quite obvious that she is in love with him yet does not wish to admit it to him but expresses it through the mean way she treats him (and it seems that he feels the same way). She knows she should let go of this infatuation (although it seems she does not wish to by her tone and the chorus) but she knows she can not (because she shifts and continuously describes how she likes to irk and provoke her love). The thing I find so witty is the fact that she uses powerful lines (the ones in bold) to describe their relationship and actually admit that he loves him although she does not wish to blatently say that because she just can't believe it. The constant shifts in tone help create the wit. She begins by setting up the situation on a Thursday evening where she was " telling a story and [he found] it boring and "was thinking of something to say". She presents a sense of playfulness between her and the subject yet there is almost a bitter tone when she fights his response by mocking his intelligent and "witty" response by telling him to have another beer. She then shifts in tone by describig how she should "let go" and "forget" her crush but she can no. She then further describes that when they "fight, [she] knows it's not right". When he "frowns", she "smiles" to further prove that this is all a playful expression of her infatuation yet she regrets it has to be so "bitter". He actually says, "I must eat so many lemons,'cause I am so bitter" basically showing to the audience that he knows she does it on purpose. She then shifts (maybe giving a sense of denial? or not wanting to think about it anymore) to describing what she said to him...that she'd rather be with one of his friends because they are much "fitter"). It seems throughout this entire song that she is mocking herself and their relationship...that they both can not admit to each other their emotions yet their actions present them perfectly. Interesting though, could she possibly be mocking the cliche that "actions are stronger than words?" It seems so because they are not getting anywhere with their constant bitterness towards each other. The speaker seems regretful and sad YET she tries to cover it up again with the last few lines by saying, "I can not be bothered with this. I hope I'm not stuck with this one". The general theme here seems to be that one can not cover up their emotions because in one way or another, they will show up. By writing the song, she is obviously thinking about the subject and can not forget about him..no matter what her actions are, she still has those feelngs lingering and it seems that the guy is feeling the same thing. The wit in this is how she mocks the whole situation and the irony of it all..love makes them act quite pathetic yet they know how to stop up but they can not.I'd also like to comment on the symbol of a "foundation": Now that I look back on the entire song, it seems that the foundation is love The reason why the speaker is "holding on to the cracks in our foundations" is because she is holding onto the strong feelings she has for the guy.For a witty song, it seems to have a generally sad tone to it when looking back on it.

Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis: Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

Hm, interesting second chapter. The style of writing, the way Dixon uses flashbacks and different scenes, which aren't clearly connected in the story, is obviously done for a particular purpose which seems to be that he picks the scenes that present the characters in a negative light. He begins by presenting a recollection of scenes in which is he is speaking to Margeret Peel, a woman who works at the university with Dixon's but has a slightly higher social status. Dixon's, again, is presented to be commenting of the flaws in her character- she is not attractive, wears too much makeup to cover it up, and overly dresses in order to attract attension. It seems that Amis is mocking different types of people who seem to want to attract attension of over people and gain their approval even though they disregard how they are really being seen. It is also interesting how he seems to analyze that her supposed suicide attempt was strictly done to achieve the attension of him and her ex-boyfriend because she lacks the looks to which many women get attension from. This also presents another aspect in the novel, Margaret values the traditional gender roles and expectations. The reader sees this through the way in which she expects to get attension of men only through her looks and supposed sensitivity and how she makes Dixon pay for her drink even though she has a higher paying salary than him. The way he describes her laugh and sensitive actions also show that she tries to act as the traditional woman was expected to act during the time in which the novel was written. Towards the end of this chapter, Dixon's describes London and how he wishes to be there while his university is located on the other side of the country which maybe represents that he wishes to be in different conditions or have a completely opposite life than he already has.

Parker Poem

A Well Worn Story by Dorothy Parker

In April, in April,
My one love came along,
And I ran the slope of my high hill
To follow a thread of song.
His eyes were hard as porphyry
With looking on cruel lands;
His voice went slipping over me
Like terrible silver hands.
Together we trod the secret lane
And walked the muttering town.
I wore my heart like a wet, red stain
On the breast of a velvet gown.
In April, In April,
My love went whistling by,
And I stumbled here to my high hill
Along the way of a lie.
Now what should I do in this place
But sit and count the chimes,
And splash cold water on my face
And spoil a page with rhymes?

Title: The title itself seems to indicate or imply that the poem is going to poke at a particular issue because the phrase, “well worn” indicates that the speaker knows how ingeniune this “story” is and how she is going to portray her reasons for this.
Paraphrase: The first sentence is about a female (it seems) speaker that has a particular affection towards her “one love” so she ran up a hill to follow him. The speaker then begins to describe her “love” as being “terribly” mesmerizing and she could not help but be engulfed in his presence. They both “trod” together and seemed to have had an affair or romance without the fear of walking into “the muttering town” and were not at all shamed for their actions. The speaker explains to the reader how she wore her heart like a stain on a beautiful velvet dress. Her lover left her as she stumbled to hold her head high. She explains her confusion in indecisiveness as to what she should do now that this event has occurred and snarls that the only thing left is to sulk about it and write it in a poem. Connotation: This poem has so many connotations in it which creates its general tone.First off, “well worn” as I’ve stated before, sets the speaker’s tone as being sarcastic and almost exploitive of the nature of overused “stories”. It prepares the reader to look for this attitude throughout the poem and sets the general mood of it as well by indicating the speaker’s attitude.“In April, in April” is repeatedly used throughout the poem. I find the connotation of the month, April, to be very interesting in how Parker uses it. When one thinks of this month, they either picture spring or rain. With the image of spring comes flowers and happiness which creates a general vibe of the synthetic happiness the speaker feels when in love as opposed to the speaker’s genuine and underlying attitude. April can also imply a rainy season because of the phrase “April showers”. The speaker is subtly presenting her attitude despite her “happy” emotions of being in love. ”one love”: I know this isn’t referring to its connotative meaning but I wanted to note that the word “one” seemed to imply that those who are blinded by love sound pitiful."high": the way in which Parker uses this word is creatively placed due to the fact that it implies several things. For one thing, "high" can be associated with something that is unable to be attainable and can also bring about an image of heaven because it refers to something so high up and angelic."hill": I find it interesting how Parker combines this word with "high" because she implies to the reader a negative vibe because she is basically indicating that this love of hers is unable to be reached (the hill can be taken as the final product of a struggle; a desired goal because in literature, the climbing to the top of the hill is usually the goal of whomever is climbing somewhere)."slope": brings about a connotative implication of something steep or a struggle to go up against "thread": although it does not look negatively connotative, in context, it definitely makes its point about our speaker's dreams of romance. The speaker implies she is chasing after something so thin, as a thread, knowingly that it is unlikely to occur."hard": I found it slightly different how she explains the man to be this way. I'm guessing it’s an indirect metaphor referring to the man's heart. When I first read this word in the context of the poem, it reminded me of stone or rock that is unbreakable."slip": implying that it was by mistake; uncontrollable"silver": the use of this word is interesting because with silver comes the implication of rotting or oxidizing with changes silver to rust which hints at what happened to their love because the man seemed to tolerate his "love" up until he lets her go (when his "emotions" rust)"muttering": I just find it a bit comical when Parker uses this word in her poem. I mean, the speaker knows that the entire town is speaking of her yet she admits it openly and does not care. This word is pretty negative in context which again subtly brings out Parker's attitude and mockery towards the speaker of the poem."wet": this word is used to describe the heart of the speaker. When "wet" is used, it usually means that something was recently caused to make it to be in that state and also implies that it has not died out yet and is still a fresh sort of pain to the speaker."velvet": usually I associate this word with the upper class or something very fragile. She uses this word in contrast with "wet stain" which strikes the reader because of such a contrast in level of diction (wet and stain are such standard words which velvet is more formal and descriptive) which indicates that even something so simple as expressing one's emotions to another can have and the drastic affects it can cause on others.
Attitude: As I mentioned many times before, I definitely believe that Parker is snarling in some ways at those who fall in love so easily despite the warnings of others, get their hearts broken, and frivolously decide that there is nothing else to do but sit and mope about it and write about their ailment. Parker demonstrates this through the diction she chooses and the last stanza which changes completely in style to indicate her underlying purpose.Shift: I'd say the shifts of this poem are after every stanza. She first begins talking about how she is oh so passionately in love, shifts over to describe the difficult and almost cold nature of her lover, refers to how she did not listen to others and had a romantic relationship with this man despite the warnings of others and how her heart was broken and then to the final stanza which reveals Parker's attitude more than the speaker about the fact that there is nothing left to do but sulk and write about it.
Theme: This poem has two themes: In life, often times we tend to follow our hearts instead of rationally listening to others' opinions that sometimes end up being true.The second is that: when things happen against what she wished them to turn out to be, we must hold our heads high and not do what the speaker of the poem does.Title: Parker uses this title to indicate that this situation never gets old and the fact that it occurs quite often yet people never learn from the experience. Wow, this was long. I guess I'll type out the rest of the TPCASSTs in the next entry or two. I'm still trying to think though, why do we as readers react to wit? I mean, I can pick up on a lot of wit used but why does it strike me and is it more effective to demonstrate one's purpose? I'm still trying to get my grasp on the answer to these questions

Experience

Experience

Some men break your heart in two,
Some men fawn and flatter,
Some men never look at you;
And that clears up the matter.

Title: The title of this poem is very vague due to the fact that the reader does not know what it is refers to. It is interesting how she uses a general topic to introduce what the poem is about.
Paraphrase: Some men break your heart, some men drool over you and others just compliment you, some men never even look at you, and that's that.
Connotations:
"Some"- Parker has to qualify what she says to imply that men are extreme in their actions because we see that for everything she explains, she qualifies her argument.
"Break"- This word is negatively connotative word referring to how men disrigard a woman's feelings and just end a love affrair without caring; she's they are careless.
"Fawn"-
1.
to seek notice or favor by servile demeanor
servile-
slavishly submissive or obsequious; fawning: servile flatterers, characteristic of, proper to, or customary for slaves; abject, yielding slavishly; truckling, extremely imitative, esp. in the arts; lacking in originality.
2.
(of a dog) to behave affectionately.
"Flatter"-Just the use of this word makes it imply that love or the strategy for a woman to fall in love with a guy is very strategic and easy (which is not true).
Attitude: The attitude of this poem is quite sincere and curt.
Shift: The shifts are after she describes what each type of man does or acts towards women.
Theme: The theme of this poem is that men are very predictable. She realizes this from personal experiance.

The Last Question
New love, new love, where are you to lead me?
All along a narrow way that marks a crooked line.
How are you to slake me, and how are you to feed me?
With bitter yellow berries, and a sharp new wine.
New love, new love, shall I be forsaken?
One shall go a-wandering, and one of us must sigh.
Sweet it is to slumber, but how shall we awaken ---
Whose will be the broken heart, when dawn comes by?

This is quite an interesting poem especially because the highly connotative diction. Let me explain....
Title: The reader wants to know more about what the last question really is and wishes to read more in order to find out what the speaker is referring to. When breaking up the title, it seems interesting because "last" implies that there was some action or situation that made it be the final, ultimate question. Question implies uncertainty and confusion. It seems it was used in order for the speaker to possibly solve the problem? Or solve it?
Paraphrase: New love, new love, where are you going to take me now? You'll lead me through a narrow curve that'll be a crooked and wavy curve, How are you to ditch me and let me go? How are you to feed me? With bitter yellow berries and wine. New love, new love, should I just let it go? One shall go wondering and one should just sigh. Slumbering is sweet but now it's time to wake up, who is going to be the one heartbroken, when dawn comes by?
Connotations:
"Love": The speaker refers to a genuine love at the beginning. This word generally implies someone who is faithful and loyal. Who cares about the other and take care of the other.
"Lead": This is a highly negatively connotative word because it implies that her "love" does not truely love her but is leashing her on a string and leading her on. Possibly implying he doesnt love her?
"Narrow": Implies that her lover is blinding her and leading her down a very specific path and she can not see anything but the path on which her lover leads her through.
"Crooked": Implies that there is a deformity in the path in which she walks through. Something isn't right about it. It also implies that it is possibly impacting her negatively because she is gearing off on the wrong path.
"Slake": Implies ditching, betrayal, abandoning
"Feed": Can imply that her "love" keeps her coming back for more or that she relies too much on him.
"Bitter"/"Sharp": Refers to her love's actions and words. Not very nice.
"Wine": When someone consumes too much alchol, it causes drunkness...which causes distortion of reality.
"Sigh": Implies sadness/depression.
"Dawn": The beginning of light, prevailing light.
Attitude: The speaker feels pretty accepting towards the end to prevail over her lover's influence of her.
Shift: Towards the beginning, she describes the influence of her lover and how negatively he impacts her. At the end, she shifts her attitude to accepting letting him go.
Theme: .....Love has a very powerful affect on people and can take over and influence all your actions.
Title: The last question...is whether or not you want the feeling of love to have THAT much influence on you.

Deep.

Pride and Prejudice

Well, I have to admit, there was a lot of wit in Pride and Prejudice so I thought I'd dedicate an entry to that. At first I noticed that Austin uses wit through the way some of her characters respond to each other (specifically Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth). The reason why she does this, I think, is in order to mock society's social roles and distinctions of social class.
For example, on page 4 of the novel, Mr. Bennet responds to Mrs. Bennet by stating, "you're poor nerves. They are my dearest friends". It seems that Austin does this to mock the way in which the Mrs. Bennet tries to follow proper decorum to such an extent that she is being fake.
Another example is when Mr. Bennet says, "And if you do marry him, I will never speak to him again" when Mrs. Bennet threatens Lizzy to marry Mr. Collins or she'll never speak to her again. It's funny because Mr Bennet knows Lizzy doesnt love him and does not want her to marry for money in order not for her to make the same mistake as she did.

Love and Wit

Prophetic Soul

Because your eyes are slant and slow,
Because your hair is sweet to touch,
My heart is high again; but oh,
I doubt if this will get me much.

Title: According to dictionary.com, the word 'prophetic' has two distinct meanings;
1) of or pertaining to a prophet
2) predictive; presageful or portentous; ominous
It seems that both these definitions apply to the poem. The first definition refers to the 'soul' because the subject possibly knows of something that is not commonly known by many and the second definition applies because the subject of the poem can possibly suggest that the speaker knows of the consquences of whatever is to happen. the word 'soul' is interesting because it has many connotations distinctly referring to the inner self or inner being, possibly very deep personal opinions or feelings about something. It also suggests that the speaker is speaking from the heart or from experiance where she has learned something important.
Already, I sort of took the title in a witty way because it seemed to be an overstatement or sarcastic when referring to its subject.

Paraphrase: Because your eyes are sideways and sort of crooked and slow, because your hair is very sweet to touch, my heart is high again and I am deeply giddy from being in love with you, but oh, i doubt this is a good thing or it will get me anywhere.

Connotations: As I already stated, 'prophetic' and 'soul' are highly connotative words used in the title. The word 'eyes' suggests appearence or knowledge (possibly indicating the motif of appearence versus reality) which emphasizes the fact that the speaker knows that being in love is all a facade. "slant' and 'slow' do not have positive connotations due to the fact that 'slant' implies that something is not straight which implies a somewhat of a deformity. the word, 'slow' indicates that the eyes of the one she is in love with is slow (possibly indicating that he does not realize she is in love with him?) 'sweet' generally does not refer to texture which could imply the extreme sensation that she recieves when touching his hair. The word 'heart' implies love. The word 'high' possibly indicates the speaker's deeply giddy emotions evoked from being in love. 'much' indicates that fact that the speaker belittles the benifits of being in love.

Attitude: It is obvious that our speaker is quite distraught with being in love and does not see a point because it seems as if the man she is in love with does not realize it.

Shifts: The speaker first describes the one she is in love with and subsquently shifts in describing her emotions about being in love and then shifts once more when indicating the fact that she thinks there is no point.

Theme: The theme of this poem is that there is no point of being in love with something who does not even realize you feel the same way about him.

it is obvious Parker is not fond of being in love
:)

Chapter 1: Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis

Chapter 1.

It is very interesting how Lucky Jim begins with an empty college campus (a strategy to reveal that Amis is strictly interested in satirizing the faculty of the university as opposed to the students themselves) because he presents the members of the staff and their actions and practices. He presents Professor Welch as the first character who seems to be representative of the strict and traditional standards of an old English university. This is interesting because, in context, him like many others professors are presented to be teaching new universities different from the traditional old English ones. It seems that the book will be about the humor of the situation of these traditional professors to be teaching students from different economic and social backgrounds. As it is, our narrator (presumably introduced as Jim Dixon) has quite a critical and spectical eye for things which presents the humor of the introduction of the setting. He is very critical of those around him even though he does not act that way but this thoughts reflect his true feelings. He shows the reader that he is not that interested in academic achievement. This is reflected when he asks Welch if his paper is worthy or intellectual enough yet the ironic thing here is that Welch himself does not know and has to ask other administrators (Amis is being witty here because he is mocking Welch in the sense that he is supposed to be highly scholarly yet he can not even comment on Dixon's work without the approval of another). I must say, I love the way Amis presents Dixon's character so far though; his imagination creates humor so far in the novel such as when he imagines Welch stuck in a toilet and how he puts images to express his strong feelings of frustration. He also plays with language by mocking what the characters say and how "proper" they try to act but in reality, it shows how pathetic they are. Welch tries to use so much proper English and says "my word" when he tries to curse which just makes him seem ridiculous. It's so obvious this novel is going to satarize education.

Wit and Hearthside

Hearthside by Dorothy Parker

Half across the world from me
Lie the lands I'll never see-
I, whose longing lives and dies
Where a ship has sailed away;
I, that never close my eyes
But to look upon Cathay.
Things I may not know nor tell
Wait, where older waters swell;
Ways that flowered at Sappho's tread,
Winds that sighed in Homer's strings,
Vibrant with the singing dead,
Golden with the dust of wings.
Under deeper skies than mine,
Quiet valleys dip and shine.
Where their tender grasses heal
Ancient scars of trench and tomb
I shall never walk: nor kneel
Where the bones of poets bloom.
If I seek a lovelier part,
Where I travel goes my heart;
Where I stray my thought must go;
With me wanders my desire.
Best to sit and watch the snow,
Turn the lock, and poke the fire.

For some reason, this poem subconciously made me really pensive just because of how Parker presents her purpose. I'm going to start off by discussing this poem's purpose a bit rather than just delving into the TPCASTTing. Parker really examines the aspect of knowing she is restricted and will probobly not take a specific course in life where she will neer "walk nor knell where the bones of poets bloom" and seek the many other "lands [she'll] never see". It is quite interesting how Parker somewhat manipulates this sad tone and makes it a tad more cheerful in a sense because in the end she realizes she does have control over her life but it would be "best to sit and watch the snow" instead of venture out into the world and discover her "desires". Her purpose is most deffientely effective because throughout the poem, she referances many different Greek allusions such as singing voices of the Cyrins. Her powerful imagery that runs throughout the poem places her readers in the many different places that they could be visiting yet the reader realizes eventually that they must not turn out like the author and actually go out and discover these places. I think Parker brings in her role in society towards the end because women at the time this poem was written were not necesserily allowed to break out of the "norm" and their traditional roles in society which is why she, at the end, decides to just "sit and watch the snow" despite her awareness that she could be seeking different places and advanture.
How does this poem able to reach such a vast audience? Because of how Parker takes such a universal idea and personalizes it so that it reaches everyone. How? Because this poem mocks how people both know and once knew that they do not decide to take a chance or a different oppurtunity to break out of their traditional lives to experiance something new. By doing so, Parker makes the audience really think of their lives and why they decided not to take the chance (as the speaker of the poem decides to blow off the idea by the end). It is quite sad but it's often true.

Symptom Recital

Symptom Recital
I do not like my state of mind;
I'm bitter, querulous, unkind.
I hate my legs, I hate my hands,
I do not yearn for lovelier lands.
I dread the dawn's recurrent light;
I hate to go to bed at night.
I snoot at simple, earnest folk.
I cannot take the simplest joke.
I find no peace in paint or type.
My world is but a lot of tripe.
I'm disillusioned, empty-breasted.
For what I think, I'd be arrested.
I am not sick. I am not well.
My quondam dreams are shot to hell.
My soul is crushed, my spirit sore:
I do not like me any more.
I cavil, quarrel, grumble, grouse.
I ponder on the narrow house.
I shudder at the thought of men.
I'm due to fall in love again.

Title: The title is pretty vague which is a strategy to grasp the reader's attension. Symptom ususally implies the prerequisits to obtaining an illness which is generally negatively connotative. It can also imply an anticipated event to occur since there are symptoms occuring before then. By using the word, "recital" right next to it, it almost seems as if these "symptoms" or "prerequisits" are what caused them. Is Parker going to speak of how something was a result of something else? The reader soon finds out.

Paraphrase: I hate my state of mind, I'm bitter, cold, I like to fight, I hate my legs, I hate my hands, I don't care or want to go to better places or live in a better home, I dread the light before dawn, I hate going to bed at night, I hate sleeping, I laugh at simple people, I can't stand doing anything (not even painting or typing), My world is nothing but depressing, I'm disillusioned, I have no heart, I'd be taken away or arrested for my thoughts, I can't take a joke, I'm not sick but I'm not ok, All my aspirations are shot to hell, My soul is crushed, my dreams mean nothing anymore, my spirit is dying, I don't like this anymore. She wonders about the narrow house, She shudders at the sight of men, she's doomed to fall in love again.

Connotations: There are a lot of them in here. I feel as if Parker uses very vague works that evoke a series of powerful emotions and images to the reader.
"State of mind"-I've always been curious about this phrase. Parker begins by being blunt. It is almst as if the reader can picture her "state of mind" as a dark room or narrow hallway. I'm not sure why I got this image but whenever I hear this, I always get the image of this. She is giving power to her mind here because it is what is controlling her at the moment.
"bitter"-I thought it was interesting how she uses this word to first describe her. She get her tone already from the second line of the poem because this word is strongly negatively connotative. It almost presents the idea that the speaker already knows she a horrible person but it only gets worse as the negatively connotative diction continues throughout the poem.
"hate"-As compared to her poems, Parker is so much more blunt to describe the subject of the poem. I'm pretty sure she does this because she is trying to reach a general audience (aka the "common man") here because we can all relate to this poem at some point or another.
"legs": Ha, I found this hilarious for some reason just because I've heard so many people say this. It can be taken bother literally and metaphorically. I thought it was a metonomy because it represented where people decide to go with their lives and the misdirections they take.
"hands": This can be taken the same way as "legs" but in a different light. "Hands" are more action based towards more specific doings. "Legs" take you there. "Hands" actually make you do something. Why would she choose these two seperate body parts? Hands and legs? I thought this was a message Parker was trying to explain...People in society have the chance to go, live, love, discover...yet they don't. They just accept what they have and get depressed about it. I wouldn't say she's necesserily mocking this fact. It's just pretty sad though when the reader realizes what Parker is trying to explain.

Attitude: Parker has two attitudes going on here. The first is slightly mocking but underneath this tone, there is a sad and solumn tone of how many in our society are not satisfied with themselves and how love is a painful thing due to our insecurities and doubts.

Shift: There's a shift after Parker speaks of the narrow house in which she thinks about. Because previous to this, she expressed her state of mind and how she felt about herself, the underlying message lies in the last two lines where she speaks of how shes bound to fall in love again because of all these insecurities. The thing is, the reader does not know if she is falling in love or if she is already in love because we often know that while in love, we have strong insecurities.

Theme: There are two themes in this poem: The first is the struggle many in our society face with themselves. I know all of us have strong insecurities and these usually arise when something ignites us to feel a particular way.

Wail and Wit.

Wail
Love has gone a-rocketing.
That is not the worst;
I could do without the thing,
And not be the first.
Joy has gone the way it came.
That is nothing new;
I could get along the same ---
Many people do.
Dig for me the narrow bed,
Now I am bereft.
All my pretty hates are dead,
And what have I left?

Title: When viewing the title, “Wail”, it first gives the reader the implication of sadness or depression. The title implies that the speaker of the poem or the subject of the poem is suffering or introduced to something so devastating or painful that they are expressing this through their cry.
Paraphrase: Wail, love has gone away but it is not the worst. I could do without it but it has not been the first time. Joy has gone out the way it came. That is nothing new. I could get along the same as everyone else does. Dig for me the grave now that I am deprived of such a thing. All my pretty hates are dead and what have I got left? Connotation: The title is highly depressing due to the fact that it implies to the reader that the speaker is in pain or suffering. When someone wails, they are verbally expressing their emotions because they are no longer bearable to contain inside one’s heart. “A-rocketing”…I must say this is a really playful way to describe losing something as valuable as love. It is interesting that the speaker follows this highly positive connotative word by using such a powerful word as “worst” to show the contrast between her attitude and the actual situation. Losing something as meaningful as love would not be so passively released from her heart and mind as she implies. When Parker refers to love as “the thing”, she implies the meaningless nature of the situation and the fact that it is inferior to her. The phrase, “joy has gone the way it came” expresses the speaker’s disappointment although the inverted syntax implies that she is trying to deceive her reader. By saying that it is “nothing new”, she seems to be shrugging off the matter. “Narrow” implies a confined space implying the fact that the “bed” she refers to is a coffin and that the reader should expect her death. “Bereft” has two different connotations to it because it may mean, “to leave desolate or alone, especially by death” or “to take (something valuable or necessary), typically by force”. I find this clearly a very witty use of the word. It is amazing how Parker manipulates the way she chooses her word because it exemplifies the underlying theme of this poem. The first literal definition of the word is referring to how love was so curtly stolen from her. The other refers to the fact that she is not able to accept this and wants to take her own life because the end of the world has come because of this. The thing is, this makes the poem ironic because there are two different tones going on here. The speaker is bluntly stating her indifference and nonchalance towards the fact that she has lost her love. At the same time, her highly connotative diction implies that she is deeply affected by her tragic loss.
Attitude: There are two different attitudes expressed in the poem. The speaker is bluntly stating her indifference and nonchalance towards the fact that she has lost her love. At the same time, her highly connotative diction implies that she is deeply affected by her tragic loss. This creates the poem’s ironic tone.
Shift: I’d say there is a severe shift after “I could get along the same” because at this point, the reader is able to see the speaker’s real attitude about her subject rather than the façade she was originally trying to portray to her reader.
Theme: The theme of this poem is that no matter how humans try to deny (that when their love has departed or gone away) their feelings, they are obviously hurt and devastated when this takes place. It is up to them how they react because as we see, the speaker is truly over exaggerating.
Title: I am honestly not sure here is Parker is trying to be sarcastic about how devastating the effects can be able losing someone you truly love or is demonstrating how humans often try to deny their feelings and pretend such an important aspect of their lives does not have a meaning or significance when it is lost. I think this is what makes this poem interesting to me because there are two different ways the poem can be viewed and it is really up to the reader to make that personal connection.
Although, I must say that regardless of how the speaker feels, Parker is truly mocking the human tendency of attachment and love.

TPCASTT: A Dream Lies Dead

A Dream Lies Dead

A dream lies dead here.
May you softly go
Before this place, and turn away your eyes,
Nor seek to know the look of that which dies
Importuning
Life for life.
Walk not in woe,
But, for a little, let your step be slow.
And, of your mercy, be not sweetly wise
With words of hope and
Spring and tenderer skies.
A dream lies dead; and this all mourners know:
Whenever one drifted petal leaves the tree-
Though white of bloom as it had been before
And proudly waitful of fecundity-
One little loveliness can be no more;
And so must Beauty bow her imperfect head
Because a dream has joined the wistful dead!

Haha, I must say, I love this poem. It's pretty depressing but Parker makes the topic light-hearted and not seem as bad as it may be. Although many refer to her poems as "emo"tional, I find them pretty funny (probobly because of how she turns such depressing topics into comical issues..which may be an aspect of wit I have been completely ignoring or overseeing.) I think this poem made me realize that in using "wit", humor must or almost always accompanies it within a piece. So that leads me to the question, how is it different from satire? That's one thing I need to find out because I find the lines crossing although wit is more about general topics and not specific real life situations which are poked fun at.
Ok, now time for yet another TPCASTT...I know they are long, but they are the most helpful in this case of trying to see HOW wit is created though the language and imagery presented in the poems I often read.
Title: At first I thought this poem was going to be very depressing...which is important (in terms of the reader's perspectic expecting it to be but in the end, it wasn't), in Parker's case, because Parker mocks the intensity by which people react to a situation. Also, the use of simple diction really makes the meaning stick out that a dream is dead...not sugar-coating this fact.
Paraphrase: The dream has died. I hope it goes softly from this place. Turn your eyes away from it softly and do not try to find out what it looks like when it's life was so dearly lost. Do not walk in woe but walk slowly. And, for your mercy, don't try to sugarcoat so "wisely" with hope and indication that the sun will come out tommorow and that everything will be ok. A dream has died and all those who mourn know this and whenever a tree loses a leaf, although it is replaced, it can no longer be as lovely. So Beauty must bow her head because the dream is now dead!
Connotations (my favorite): What gives this poem its affect is the powerful words used and their connotations they imply.
"Dream" and "dead": the juxtaposition of these two words are necesary for the affect this poem gives off. "dream" is a highly connotative positive word implying ambition, perserverance, or striving for success. "Dead" is a depressing and dreary word that would not generally be combined with such a positive word like "dream". Because the words have sharply contrasting connotation (as well as simplistic origins..both are simplistic in their diction) which brings the affect of the "intensity" of the situation...or what Parker wants us to think before she mocks how people percieve conflicts.
"Softly" is a very positive word referring to the unspecified pronoun "you" which can be taken as either those who the dream was so dearly to or the dream itself. The word brings about a sense of mourning or sympathy towards the situaion evoking a feeling of pity or sadness to the reader.
"Eyes" has a connotation referring to truth or reality. The line in which this word is incorporated in is basically the thesis of the poem although it is a slight pun because Parker is actually referring advising those who are devasted by the death of this "dream" to get over it and realize that it isn't as bad as it seems as opposed to the literal meaning of this sentance referring not to pay so much attension to this death.
"Woe": Brings about an image of a mourner or a woman dressed in black; highly depressing word; very dramatic.
"Step": This word can be taken a few different ways; it can be implied that this "step" is part of a greater journey and that they should not mourn but slow down for a little and continue afterwards; perserverance?
"mercy"/"sweetly wise": You know, just from the usage of these three words together makes me (the reader) feel a sort of bitterness towards the speaker although it is slightly amusing at the same time. "Mercy" is supposed to imply pity but she uses this in a negative sense because she basically says to the reader they should NOT be "sweetly wise" implying that they should not feel bad or even care about the dream dying which brings about the speaker's tone of bitterness or sharpness.
"Beauty": This also exemplifies the bitterness in the speaker's tone because she wants her to "bow down" which is highly negative and degrading because nature is the basis of everything and death is a part of nature so it's also ironic.
there are more but i felt as though these were the most important.
Attitude: Bitter and sharp..comical as well. (See connotation for how it's created)
Shifts: She first speaks of the dream dying, how others should percieve it, and then how Nature should bow down because of its "imperfections".
Theme: " Those who are devasted by the death of a "dream" should get over it and realize that it isn't as bad as it seems.
Title: A mockery of a dream dying and how one should react as opposed to the impulsive reaction that generally occurs.

Similarities

I'd like to comment on what I've seen so far throughout the poetry that I've read. What is "wit" was the first initial question I wanted to venture into for this project. Well, so far I have realized that "wit" is using the reader's standards to sort of gearing them to believe in the author's particular purpose or message about a particular work. The thing is, the authors manipulate common usages of speech or things that are commonly accepted in society and morphs them around a particularly mocking or cold tone to make a point. I know this is a generalization but these are the similiarities I've found so far. I have a few more TPCASTTs that I'll be posting in the next few days which help to further reinforce this general idea about wit. As for how we respond to it as readers...I'm not quite sure yet WHY we respond to it. What makes it stick out to us even if we are not analyzed the diction, syntax, and tone as I am trying to do. Is it the way she mocks society? I have yet to grasp the answer to this question. This is far more difficult than I thought.

Notes.

Hello. Sorry I haven't blogged in ages. I have a lot of notes to sure though. Be prepared for a very long entry =p

Ballade Of A Talked-Off Ear

Daily I listen to wonder and woe,
Nightly I hearken to knave or to ace,
Telling me stories of lava and snow,
Delicate fables of ribbon and lace,
Tales of the quarry,
the kill,
the chase,
Longer than heaven and duller than hell
-Never you blame me, who cry my case:
"Poets alone should kiss and tell!"
Dumbly I hear what I never should know,
Gently I counsel of pride and of grace;
Into minutiae gayly they go,
Telling the name and the time and the place.
Cede them your silence and grant them space
-Who tenders an inch shall be raped of an ell!
Sympathy's ever the boaster's brace;
Poets alone should kiss and tell.
Why am I tithed what I never did owe?
Choked with vicarious saffron and mace?
Weary my lids, and my fingers are slow
-Gentlemen, damn you, you've halted my pace.
Only the lads of the cursed race,
Only the knights of the desolate spell,
May point me the lines the blood
-drops trace
-Poets alone should kiss and tell.

L'ENVOI
Prince or commoner,
tenor or bass,
Painter or plumber or never-do-well,
Do me a favor and shut your face
Poets alone should kiss and tell.

Title: I honestly chose this poem because at first glance, it seems difficult to interpert just from the title. The title graps the reader's attension because it isn't very clear what exactly this poem is about. Is the author going to tribute an ear? The "ear" is being personified as well here because it has been "talked-off". Who did this to the ear and why was it done? It seems the author is trying to tell the reader that someone has taken away the ear's privilage to talk or listen for that matter. It's odd how Parker uses personification in this sense. Already, I ask, is she trying to mock those who took the ear's privilage away or is she mocking the ear itself and what it listens to? I think the title already demonstrates some form of wit through its sharp yet simple diction. Also, "ear" has a connotation of something being listened to, gossip, or secret that is not meant to be heard. "Talked-off" seems slightly curt and negative.
Paraphrase: The speaker listens to wonder and woe every day, and every night she listens to a dishonest person or to a very close friend, who tells her stories of lava and snow, and delicate and fragile or personal tales of ribbon and lace, tales of the fights, the kill, the chase, that were longer than heaven and duller than hell-you shouldnt blame me, those who cry at my story..."Poets alone should kiss and tell!" Sumbly she hears what she really shouldn't know, gently she calms those of pride and grace. In a happy minute, they go, telling the person's name and time and place. Leave them your silence and grant them some space who leaves an inch shall be raped of a year. Sympathy is what they want to give you; poets alone should kiss and tell. Why is she so tithed at what she never owed. Shocked with the things people now know. Her weary lids and fingers are slow-everyone, damn you all, you've messed up the pace of her life. Only the people who are part of this race, only the knights of this horrid spell, may point to her on the page and the direct lines that refer to her which are covered in blood, poets alone should kiss and tell.
*I'm not sure if this second part if supposed to be part of the first half of the poem but it seems (according to many referances) that they belong together.
L'ENVOI...rich or poor, high voice or low voice, painter or plumber or anyone of any occupation, do me a favor and shut up, poets should kiss and tell.
Connotation: Wow, I just realized after paraphrasing how intense the word choice she uses is in bringing about the tone and the general mood of this piece. Parker is sharp, thats for sure. There are many highly connotative words in this piece...
"Talked-Off": people overdid the gossiping, ect (please see referance to "title")
"Ear" gossip, to lisen to something, (also see referance to "title")
"Daily": This is such a simple world yet quite a powerful way to begin her poem because the speaker is trying to emphasize that she can not escape the words and things other people tell her thus when she starts off with this word, it gives the reader a vibe that the speaker is stuck in this choas of gossip and people's words.
"wonder" and "woe": the juxtaposition of these two words is quite interesting..,normally you wouldn't see these words side-by-side because "wonder"brings abotu a strong sense of amazement and a positively moving experiance but at the same time, "woe" has a strong negative connotation because it implies strong sadness or distress.
"hearken": I honestly had to look this word up (which is one reason why I think Parker chose to use it in this poem). The entire poem is demonstrating the rights of poets and what they should share throughout their poetry. Parker uses the word "hearken" which means to listen to show that poets have the right to play with words as they have the right to pick and choose what they wish to express to their readers.
"ace": In the literal, denotative sense, this word means a "close friend"...but if you analyze the connotative usage of this word, it can imply gambling or playing with the cards...a skilled person or someone who can defeat their opponents in a witty way. Is Parker referring to the gossipers?
"Lava": hot, heat, fire, someone powerful, raging, fierce
"snow": cold, innocent, blank, empty
*note: she juxtaposes the usage of these two words as well. Why? To show the fierce contrast between the gossip she encounters and possibly the affects it has on others.
"delicate": brings about an image of a child or a polcelin doll..interesting how she uses this word to compare this gossip because it shows how vicious it can become.
"lace": feminine, fragile, "perfection" in a sense because many in the Victorian ages, lace was associated with the rich and their clothing.
"quarry, kill, chase": representing certain situations in our daily lives. Very vague words yet reflective of human nature and our day to day situations but in an uncivil portrayal. She's referring back to our primative nature as animals rather than civilized human beings.
"blame": such a straightforward and an "in your face" word...if you notice, she goes from very vague and abstract language (many of which are metaphorically or highly connotative) to a very curt and straightforward word to emphasize her point.
"Dumbly": Implies her reluctance but it seems she has no choice. Implies the small-mindedness or the fact that she is stuck in such a word where she can not escape the gossip.
"pride"/"grace": Quite a strong connotative contrast. Pride implies the evil side to human nature, the one that is looked down upon and grace has a highly positive connotation because it is something many wish to achieve. Grace is positive and can also imply religious grace which is something people wish to achieve.
"counsel": why did Parker choose to use this word here? If you take this word out of context, the first thought that comes to mind is a group of people meeting to discuss something which goes back to her main idea about how people continuously gossip and talk about unnecesery things.
"boaster's brace": This phrase really reinforces her sneering attitude towards those who gossip in the way in which is contains alliteration and the word "boaster" here is used in a sarcastic way because in a sense, the phrase is ironic to the entire poem's meaning.
"raped": very negative. stripping something does not belong to them. powerful usage.
"chocked": negative to show how shes trapped in this world.
"weary": gloomy. they are wearing her down.
"Gentlemen"/"Knights": Interesting how through the entire poem she is mocking those she is referring to yet she usages this word which is given to highly respectable men as well as the knights. They are treating her the opposite of how society expects them to act which creates even more of the irony because shouldn't the people be gossiping about them to?
"prince/commoner": Uses the contrast between the connotations of "rich" and "poor" to make a statement that this affects everyone.
Attitude: As mentioned in the connotation section, she sneerful towards the subject and very cold towards society.
Shift:The second stanza--> gets more personal and she brings herself into how this gossiping is affecting her yet in the first she is stating how it affects those in society as a whole. in the third, she gets even colder and begins to become ironic. in the forth--> again she is stating how it affects everyone. Highly affective because she goes fromvery general and how it impacts everyone to how it specifically impaced her to how again it affects society as a whole.
Theme: People will talk about you know matter what, it's part of life.
Title: Parker thinks it's neceserry to stop this cycle of slander.