Dilemma

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



If I were mild, and I were sweet,
And laid my heart before your feet,
And took my dearest thoughts to you,
And hailed your easy lies as true;
Were I to murmur "Yes," and then
"How true, my dear," and "Yes," again,
And wear my eyes discreetly down,
And tremble whitely at your frown,
And keep my words unquestioning
My love, you'd run like anything!

Should I be frail, and I be mad,
And share my heart with every lad,
But beat my head against the floor
What times you wandered past my door;
Were I to doubt, and I to sneer,
And shriek "Farewell!" and still be here,
And break your joy, and quench your trust-
I should not see you for the dust!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 25, 2023

38 sec read
142

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCCDDEE FFGGXXHH
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 633
Words 132
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 10, 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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