Razors pain you;
Rivers are damp;
Acids stain you;
And drugs cause cramp.
Guns aren’t lawful;
Nooses give;
Gas smells awful;
You might as well live.

Analysis, meaning and summary of Dorothy Parker's poem Resume

27 Comments

  1. Dot Colquhoun says:

    I memorized this in high school as I needed eight more lines to recite for a class project – even the teacher laughed – I think about it every so often.

  2. jeron baste says:

    ganda! i like this poem so much. its inspired me on how life important

  3. Michele says:

    This poem is the only thing keeping me alive tonight. Thanks Dorothy, wherever you are.

  4. keely says:

    i think that this poem is just another masterpiece of Parker’s. her sarcasm is what makes her work so great, though the meaning of this morbid poem is so sad.

  5. shanequa says:

    i have problems. this poem almost fixed them but i still ended up killing myself. WAHHHH ( . Y . )

  6. Pam Liu says:

    her poems always end in an unexpected fashion. someday it’ll then be predictable but till then, i love her works!

  7. Honky Macgoo says:

    Why does noone think this is funny? Its Hi-freaking-larious.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Do you have any comments, criticism, paraphrasis or analysis of this poem that you feel would assist other visitors in understanding the meaning or the theme of this poem by Dorothy Parker better? If accepted, your analysis will be added to this page of American Poems. Together we can build a wealth of information, but it will take some discipline and determination.