[and scarcely worth the trouble, at that]

The same to me are somber days and gay.
Though Joyous dawns the rosy morn, and bright,
Because my dearest love is gone away
Within my heart is melancholy night.

My heart beats low in loneliness, despite
That riotous Summer holds the earth in sway.
In cerements my spirit is bedight;
The same to me are somber days and gay.

Though breezes in the rippling grasses play,
And waves dash high and far in glorious might,
I thrill no longer to the sparkling day,
Though joyous dawns the rosy morn, and bright.

Ungraceful seems to me the swallow’s flight;
As well might heaven’s blue be sullen gray;
My soul discerns no beauty in their sight
Because my dearest love is gone away.

Let roses fling afar their crimson spray,
And virgin daisies splash the fields with white,
Let bloom the poppy hotly as it may,
Within my heart is melancholy night.

And this, O love, my pitiable plight
Whenever from my circling arms you stray;
This little world of mine has lost its light….
I hope to God, my dear, that you can say
The same to me.

Analysis, meaning and summary of Dorothy Parker's poem Rondeau Redouble

1 Comment

  1. David Aratea says:

    I loved this poem. Formal poems haven’t gotten the the attention and admiration they duly deserve.

    Dorothy Parker gives us this very complex poem, and serves it to us in this smooth, and wholesome dish. She pulls the rentrement with ease, and her statements and counterstatements blended in perfectly…and if one wasn’t paying the utmost attention, you wouldn’t have even realized the repeating lines.

    Bravo to Dorothy Parker, for showing us what formal poems are capable of, and this is truly a highly recommended reading for anyone who wants to read an exquisite piece of poetry.

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Your email address will not be published.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.