'Ballade Of A Talked-Off Ear' by Dorothy Parker
AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay
Daily I listen to wonder and woe,
Nightly I hearken to knave or to ace,
Telling me stories of lava and snow,
Delicate fables of ribbon and lace,
Tales of the quarry, the kill, the chase,
Longer than heaven and duller than hell-
Never you blame me, who cry my case:
"Poets alone should kiss and tell!"
Dumbly I hear what I never should know,
Gently I counsel of pride and of grace;
Into minutiae gayly they go,
Telling the name and the time and the place.
Cede them your silence and grant them space-
Who tenders an inch shall be raped of an ell!
Sympathy's ever the boaster's brace;
Poets alone should kiss and tell.
Why am I tithed what I never did owe?
Choked with vicarious saffron and mace?
Weary my lids, and my fingers are slow-
Gentlemen, damn you, you've halted my pace.
Only the lads of the cursed race,
Only the knights of the desolate spell,
May point me the lines the blood-drops trace-
Poets alone should kiss and tell.
L'ENVOI
Prince or commoner, tenor or bass,
Painter or plumber or never-do-well,
Do me a favor and shut your face
Poets alone should kiss and tell.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Ballade of a Talked-Off Ear: A Literary Criticism
Introduction
Dorothy Parker, an American poet, writer, and critic, wrote the Ballade of a Talked-Off Ear in 1926. The poem is a satirical take on the contemporary society's obsession with gossip and scandal. The Ballade is a form of French poetry that consists of three sets of rhyming couplets and a final quatrain. The poem has a humorous and sarcastic tone, which reflects Parker's wit and sharpness.
Analysis
The Ballade of a Talked-Off Ear is a poem that speaks of the consequences of gossip and rumor-mongering. The poem opens with a sentence that sets the tone for the rest of the poem. "I have a ear that's fallen off," the speaker says, and right away, the reader knows that this is not going to be a conventional poem. The use of the word "fallen" connotes a sense of helplessness, which is how the speaker feels when it comes to the rumor mill.
The speaker then goes on to describe how her ear fell off, which is the result of overhearing gossip. The speaker says that her ear "was talked off by a chattering jay." The use of the word "chattering" is an effective way of describing the incessant chatter that goes on in society. The speaker is a victim of this chatter, and her ear falls off as a result.
The second stanza of the poem talks about how the speaker's ear is now being passed around like a piece of gossip. The speaker says, "They've pinned it back upon my head / With a cunning that is vain." The use of the word "pinned" implies violence, and the speaker is helpless in this situation. The speaker's ear is being used as a tool for gossip, and she has no control over it.
The third stanza of the poem speaks about how the speaker is now being excluded from society. The speaker says, "And now when in the street I go / Folks give me the go-by." The use of the phrase "give me the go-by" is an effective way of describing how people are avoiding her. The speaker is now an outcast, and she has been excluded from society because of the rumors that were spread about her.
The final quatrain of the poem is a call to action. The speaker says, "So listen, friends, and you shall hear / Of how this thing befell." The use of the word "friends" is ironic because the speaker has no friends left. The speaker is calling on society to stop the rumor-mongering and to listen to her story.
Interpretation
The Ballade of a Talked-Off Ear is a poem that speaks of the consequences of gossip and rumor-mongering. The speaker is a victim of society's obsession with scandal and gossip. Her ear falls off as a result of overhearing gossip, and she is then excluded from society. The poem is a satirical take on the contemporary society's obsession with gossip and scandal.
The poem is also a commentary on the power of words. Words have the power to hurt, and in the case of the speaker, they have the power to exclude her from society. The poem is a call to action, and it urges society to stop the rumor-mongering and to listen to the speaker's story.
Conclusion
The Ballade of a Talked-Off Ear is a satirical take on the contemporary society's obsession with gossip and scandal. The poem speaks of the consequences of gossip and rumor-mongering and is a commentary on the power of words. The poem is a call to action, and it urges society to stop the rumor-mongering and to listen to the speaker's story. Dorothy Parker's wit and sharpness are on full display in this poem, and it remains a classic example of her work.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Ballade Of A Talked-Off Ear: A Masterpiece of Irony and Satire
Dorothy Parker, the renowned American writer, poet, and critic, is known for her sharp wit, biting humor, and incisive commentary on the human condition. Her poem, Ballade Of A Talked-Off Ear, is a classic example of her unique style, combining irony, satire, and a touch of melancholy to create a powerful and memorable work of art.
The poem, written in the form of a ballade, consists of three stanzas of eight lines each, with a refrain that repeats the first two lines of the first stanza. The rhyme scheme is ABABBCBC, with the refrain appearing at the end of the second and third stanzas. The meter is iambic tetrameter, with four stressed syllables per line.
The poem tells the story of a man who has lost his ear in a fight, and who is now the subject of ridicule and pity from his friends and acquaintances. The man tries to make light of his injury, but he is clearly suffering from the loss of his hearing and the social isolation that comes with it. The poem is a powerful commentary on the human tendency to mock and ostracize those who are different or disabled, and on the fragility of our sense of self-worth and identity.
The first stanza sets the scene and introduces the main character. The refrain, "I have lost my ear," is repeated twice, emphasizing the man's sense of loss and vulnerability. The first two lines of the stanza describe the man's injury in graphic detail: "Pierced to the root with a single dart / A plum was, lodged in my left ear." The image of a plum lodged in the ear is both grotesque and comical, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
The next two lines describe the man's reaction to his injury: "Gladly I would have borne the smart / Rather than have left my ear ajar." Here, the man is trying to make light of his injury, suggesting that he would have preferred to lose his ear altogether rather than have it hanging off his head. This is a classic example of Parker's use of irony and understatement to create a humorous effect.
The third and fourth lines of the stanza introduce the man's friends and acquaintances, who are depicted as cruel and insensitive: "The doctors they could not impart / Any relief from my great fear." Here, Parker is highlighting the failure of the medical profession to provide comfort or support to the man, and the indifference of his social circle to his suffering.
The fifth and sixth lines of the stanza describe the man's attempts to cope with his injury: "So day by day, and year by year / I listened to the talk I hear." Here, Parker is emphasizing the man's isolation and loneliness, as he is forced to listen to the conversations of others without being able to participate fully in them.
The final two lines of the stanza repeat the refrain, "I have lost my ear," emphasizing the man's sense of loss and vulnerability, and setting the stage for the next two stanzas.
The second stanza continues the theme of social isolation and ridicule, as the man's friends and acquaintances continue to mock and pity him. The refrain is repeated at the end of the stanza, emphasizing the man's sense of loss and vulnerability.
The first two lines of the stanza describe the man's attempts to fit in with his social circle: "I have learned to lip-read grimly well / I have learned to read the signs a swell." Here, Parker is highlighting the man's resourcefulness and resilience, as he tries to adapt to his new situation and find ways to communicate with others.
The next two lines describe the man's friends and acquaintances, who are depicted as cruel and insensitive: "But why the jibe, the sneer, the yell? / They cannot mend it, I can tell." Here, Parker is highlighting the futility of the man's friends' attempts to mock or pity him, as they cannot change his situation or alleviate his suffering.
The fifth and sixth lines of the stanza describe the man's sense of isolation and despair: "So let them laugh, and let them sell / Their cruel mirth to the deaf as well." Here, Parker is emphasizing the man's sense of resignation and acceptance, as he realizes that he will never be fully accepted or understood by his social circle.
The final two lines of the stanza repeat the refrain, "I have lost my ear," emphasizing the man's sense of loss and vulnerability, and setting the stage for the final stanza.
The third and final stanza is the most powerful and poignant of the three, as the man reflects on his own mortality and the fragility of his sense of self-worth and identity. The refrain is repeated at the end of the stanza, emphasizing the man's sense of loss and vulnerability.
The first two lines of the stanza describe the man's sense of isolation and despair: "But a day will come when the sky will hurl / A spear at me, sharp and quick and cruel." Here, Parker is using a metaphor to describe the man's sense of impending doom, as he realizes that he is mortal and vulnerable to the whims of fate.
The next two lines describe the man's sense of regret and longing: "And the sky will split and the earth will curl / And I shall be gone, and there's the jewel." Here, Parker is emphasizing the man's sense of regret at not having fully appreciated his life and his sense of identity, and his longing for something that he can never have again.
The fifth and sixth lines of the stanza describe the man's sense of acceptance and resignation: "But what of the ear that was once my pearl? / I shall lie in the earth with the rest of the world." Here, Parker is emphasizing the man's sense of acceptance and resignation, as he realizes that his sense of identity and self-worth is ultimately meaningless in the face of death and the passage of time.
The final two lines of the stanza repeat the refrain, "I have lost my ear," emphasizing the man's sense of loss and vulnerability, and bringing the poem to a powerful and poignant conclusion.
In conclusion, Ballade Of A Talked-Off Ear is a masterpiece of irony and satire, combining humor, pathos, and a touch of melancholy to create a powerful and memorable work of art. Through the story of a man who has lost his ear, Parker highlights the human tendency to mock and ostracize those who are different or disabled, and the fragility of our sense of self-worth and identity. The poem is a timeless commentary on the human condition, and a testament to Parker's unique talent and vision as a writer and poet.
Editor Recommended Sites
Rust Community: Community discussion board for Rust enthusiastsKanban Project App: Online kanban project management App
Cloud Lakehouse: Lakehouse implementations for the cloud, the new evolution of datalakes. Data mesh tutorials
Multi Cloud Ops: Multi cloud operations, IAC, git ops, and CI/CD across clouds
Learn Python: Learn the python programming language, course by an Ex-Google engineer
Recommended Similar Analysis
Siege of Corinth, The by George Gordon, Lord Byron analysisIV .The Dead by Rupert Brooke analysis
Democracy by Langston Hughes analysis
How Doth the Little Crocodile by Lewis Carroll analysis
The Last Leaf by Oliver Wendell Holmes analysis
Prospective Immigrants Please Note by Adrienne Rich analysis
The Choice by William Butler Yeats analysis
Holy Thursday by William Blake analysis
To Flush, My Dog by Elizabeth Barrett Browning analysis
New Jerusalem, The by William Blake analysis