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57th out of 185 books
—
185 voters
The Complete Poems of Dorothy Parker
Dorothy Parker, master of the short story, dramatist, screenwriter, and sharp-tongued critic, was also an accomplished poet. At the center of the famed Round Table at New York's Algonquin Hotel, Parker distinguished herself among a circle of urbane literati with her excoriating quips and wonderfully realized epigrammatic poems. By the time her first collection of poems, En...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
April 1st 1999
by Penguin Classics
(first published 1944)
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oy. this book had totally been tripping me up. i read the introduction, and i was impressed with the poetry quoted, which was familiar to me from when i read a bit of dorothy parker poetry as a teen. the author of the introduction kept saying that parker was a feminist prodigy & how great the poetry was in speaking to things that affected women & how awesome she was. and then i started reading the poems, and they were overwhelmingly about how love sucks and it makes her want to kill hers...more
Went through this quite slowly. I don't like Dorothy Parker as much as I think I should; there's something about her poetry - probably her combination of wit, invective, unrepentant self-regard and genuine insight - that reminds me at times of Catullus, at times of Morrissey. This should make me adore her poetry, but I have a hard time directly relating to a lot of the subject matter (heartbreak isn't my thing) and the style (Cavafy is my favourite, afterall...) - the few passive poems ('interio...more
About once a year, I pick up my battered copy of Dorothy Parker poetry and thumb through it.
My friends Anne and Anna bought this for me in high school, and it's one of the few books I've dragged around with me. It's been from Texas to California back to Texas and now back to California. Honestly, I can't remember how I was introduced to Dorothy Parker, but it's been a lifelong affair for me. Known for her witticisms and her contribution to the Algonquin Circle of New York, Dorothy Parker is act...more
My friends Anne and Anna bought this for me in high school, and it's one of the few books I've dragged around with me. It's been from Texas to California back to Texas and now back to California. Honestly, I can't remember how I was introduced to Dorothy Parker, but it's been a lifelong affair for me. Known for her witticisms and her contribution to the Algonquin Circle of New York, Dorothy Parker is act...more
The delightfully barbed wit of Dorothy Parker shines here in this complete collection of her poetic works, encompassing Enough Rope, Sunset Gun, Death and Taxes, and various sundries. Almost all of her verse comes with a sting in the tail, and we wouldn't want it any other way. The final section of the book is dedicated to Parker's uncollected works, and the also-ran quality of these brings down the overall rating a tad...but could we really live without the Hymns of Hate? I didn't think so.
Coda
Dorothy Parker
There’s little in taking or giving,
There’s little in water or wine;
This living, this living, this living
Was never a project of mine.
Oh, hard is the struggle, and sparse is
The gain of the one at the top,
For art is a form of catharsis,
And love is a permanent flop,
And work is the province of cattle,
And rest’s for a clam in a shell,
So I’m thinking of throwing the battle—
Would you kindly direct me to hell?
Dorothy Parker
There’s little in taking or giving,
There’s little in water or wine;
This living, this living, this living
Was never a project of mine.
Oh, hard is the struggle, and sparse is
The gain of the one at the top,
For art is a form of catharsis,
And love is a permanent flop,
And work is the province of cattle,
And rest’s for a clam in a shell,
So I’m thinking of throwing the battle—
Would you kindly direct me to hell?
With pain there is sometimes great insight: Dorothy Parker is an example of this. Only pain can result in such acute turns of phrase and bright sunshine viewed at a distance. Parker's poetry seems like improvised formal dancing - the cage of the poetic forms she uses cannot restrain the insight and depth of feeling. She's a very good argument for brevity. She was brilliant at phrase-making, jaw-droppingly so.
Dorothy Parker has an innate ability to be simultaneously witty, insightful, and humorous. Often she is remembered for her somewhat caustic tongue, but this collection of poems highlights her ability to brush aside her sarcastic nature, sometimes tinged with bitterness, to reveal a highly passionate and vulnerable woman.
Jul 29, 2011
Andrew
added it
I found many of these poems to be clever in their structure, but grew rapidly weary of the repeated theme of the disastrous nature of love. I really enjoyed the second half of the book, the poems uncollected by Parker. Some very witty verses. Her series of Hate Songs could almost have been penned in the modern era.
Who doesn't love Dorothy Parker?
My favorite Dorothy Parker quote "Curiosity is the cure for boredom. There is no cure for curiosity."
Read her, while sipping a martini, for an evening of complete gigglement.
My favorite Dorothy Parker quote "Curiosity is the cure for boredom. There is no cure for curiosity."
Read her, while sipping a martini, for an evening of complete gigglement.
Dorothy Parker is by far my favorite poet. She has influenced me in so many ways. I really look up to her and can identify with parts of her life.
The forward gives a nice overview of Parker's life. I knew very little prior to reading this so it was helpful. Her poetry is presented in order of publishing date so it's rather interesting to see Parker's evolution in style and in themes. Some of the selections are obviously dated as she addresses personalities of contemporaries and current events of the day but most of the works are just deliciously sarcastic or wickedly ironic. Her various Hymns of Hate are cynical but honest. Who among us h...more
A comprehensive volume of one of the modern era's most exceptional wits-a mistress of her craft in every sense, and a true woman of letters.
Razors pain you, rivers are damp. Acids stain you, drugs cause cramps.
If anything I can admire the skill and variety with which she manages to be a total downer.
Like comfort food. And dang she was witty.
Genuinely, a refreshingly sassy gal.
These were quite entertaining.
Always funny and witty!
It's a sin not to own this!!!
Just plain fun.
I'm glad to own bruised edition of this, because it's useful to lick through when you're on a train headed for university or in line at the DMV. There's always one epigram you can draw from when you're finding something to hate. Ms. Parker is unrelenting and glib, and each poem hemorrhages wit and precision.
Reading a rare poetry book because my lovely friend Liz shared The Accursed with me long ago, and it once brought me much comfort. I'm sure there's lots more good stuff in here!
***
Still not finished reading *everything* - poetry is slow going for me - but how I loved what I read. This would be a good one for me to own and spend more time with.
***
Still not finished reading *everything* - poetry is slow going for me - but how I loved what I read. This would be a good one for me to own and spend more time with.
Dorothy Parker rocked my junior year of high school...She rocked my senior year too. I'm not really sure what to say about this book or her work, except that I count her as one of my heroes. she is a master of placing humor on top of pain. not of masking the pain, but of showing its laughability (I made up a word) and its realness.
Sometimes I feel like Dorothy Parker has a complete insight into my mind. Her brilliant writing is harsh, satirical, hilarious, blunt and emotive with short and long poems about her thoughts on love/life/suicide/work etc. if you're not into poetry then this is perfect - poetic without the patronising long-lost-love feel to it.
Oh my.
I so enjoyed this, delicious!
I had read Dorothy Parker before but there was a whole section in the back that contained tons of poems I'd never seen.
She rewrote The Passionate Shepard to His Love...twice!!
Having done that myself and deeply enjoyed Ogden Nash's rewrite, I was delighted to find those.
I so enjoyed this, delicious!
I had read Dorothy Parker before but there was a whole section in the back that contained tons of poems I'd never seen.
She rewrote The Passionate Shepard to His Love...twice!!
Having done that myself and deeply enjoyed Ogden Nash's rewrite, I was delighted to find those.
i have to admit that much of the time i find that poetry isn't worth the effort, because i never seem to understand it anyway. but parker's alternately snarky and depressing verses are, i think, perfect for people like me who want to like poetry, but generally don't.
When I grow up, I want to be Dorothy Parker. And this book is the reason why. I love it so much that when they put out a different edition, I bought it again. (See also: The Portable Dorothy Parker.)
I adore Dorothy Parker, my misanthropic soul mate, who is super witty and never dull. This book is always close by, as I read her poems over and over again.
Try "Inscription for the Ceiling of a Bedroom."
Try "Inscription for the Ceiling of a Bedroom."
She's got a fun wit, but I got a bit tired of the 'hate songs' and 'hate hymns' and death imagery.
That book that has folded corners and a creased cover, a soul of its own and an owner's name written in ink on the first page. Mine all mine!
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Dorothy Parker was an American writer and poet, best known for her caustic wit, wisecracks, and sharp eye for 20th century urban foibles.
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1 trivia question
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“In youth, it was a way I had,
To do my best to please.
And change, with every passing lad
To suit his theories.
But now I know the things I know
And do the things I do,
And if you do not like me so,
To hell, my love, with you.”
—
474 people liked it
To do my best to please.
And change, with every passing lad
To suit his theories.
But now I know the things I know
And do the things I do,
And if you do not like me so,
To hell, my love, with you.”
“Inventory:
"Four be the things I am wiser to know:
Idleness, sorrow, a friend, and a foe.
Four be the things I'd been better without:
Love, curiosity, freckles, and doubt.
Three be the things I shall never attain:
Envy, content, and sufficient champagne.
Three be the things I shall have till I die:
Laughter and hope and a sock in the eye.”
—
408 people liked it
More quotes…
"Four be the things I am wiser to know:
Idleness, sorrow, a friend, and a foe.
Four be the things I'd been better without:
Love, curiosity, freckles, and doubt.
Three be the things I shall never attain:
Envy, content, and sufficient champagne.
Three be the things I shall have till I die:
Laughter and hope and a sock in the eye.”
Sep 13, 2009 01:37pm