Analysis of Song of Perfect Propriety
Dorothy Parker 1893 (Long Branch) – 1967 (New York City)
Oh, I should like to ride the seas,
A roaring buccaneer;
A cutlass banging at my knees,
A dirk behind my ear.
And when my captives' chains would clank
I'd howl with glee and drink,
And then fling out the quivering plank
And watch the beggars sink.
I'd like to straddle gory decks,
And dig in laden sands,
And know the feel of throbbing necks
Between my knotted hands.
Oh, I should like to strut and curse
Among my blackguard crew....
But I am writing little verse,
As little ladies do.
Oh, I should like to dance and laugh
And pose and preen and sway,
And rip the hearts of men in half,
And toss the bits away.
I'd like to view the reeling years
Through unastonished eyes,
And dip my finger-tips in tears,
And give my smiles for sighs.
I'd stroll beyond the ancient bounds,
And tap at fastened gates,
And hear the prettiest of sound-
The clink of shattered fates.
My slaves I'd like to bind with thongs
That cut and burn and chill....
But I am writing little songs,
As little ladies will.
Scheme | ABABCDCD EFEFGHGH IJIJXKXK XLXLAMXM |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11111101 01001 01010111 010111 01110111 111101 011101001 010101 11110101 010101 01011101 011101 11111101 01111 11110101 110101 11111101 010101 01011101 010101 11110101 111 01110101 011111 11010101 011101 01010011 011101 11111111 110101 11110101 110101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 965 |
Words | 188 |
Sentences | 11 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 32 |
Letters per line (avg) | 24 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 191 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 47 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 18, 2023
- 57 sec read
- 129 Views
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"Song of Perfect Propriety" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/8233/song-of-perfect-propriety>.
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