FreeVerse: "General Review of the Sex Situation" by Dorothy Parker
by Jenners • 01/13/2010 • Poetry • 17 Comments
Hosted by Cara over at Ooh…Books!
This week, I wanted to share a poem by Dorothy Parker. I adore Ms. Parker and always wished I could meet and hang out with her. (Though I suspect I would have been revealed as an idiot quite quickly.) If there was ever a wit competition between men and women, she would be my nominee for the girl team!
General Review of the Sex Situation
Dorothy Parker
Woman want monogamy;
Man delights in novelty.
Love is woman’s moon and sun;
Man has other forms of fun.
Woman lives but in her lord;
Count to ten, and man is bored.
With this the gist and sum of it,
What earthly good can come of it?
And, as a little bonus, my favorite Dorothy Parker “joke”: You can lead a horticulture, but you can’t make her think.
Oh, Dorothy, I wish I had just 10% of your wit!
Oh, I dunno. I think you have 10% of Dorothy Parker's wit….
(That was supposed to be amusingly bitchy. Results my vary.)
OK, I just left a comment on your post of Robert Blake, to the effect that I struggle to understand many poems.
This one, however, I get!
I feel that if I met Dorothy Parker, she probably would find some way to insult me, lol. She had a sharp mind, that is for sure; and it shows in this poem!
She's great! I hadn't read or heard either of those before.
gosh, your blog looks gorgeous! love it! dot is a crack up, no? love the joke at the end.
I love this
Hilarious and true!
One of my favourite ladies! Also, seconding (thirding? fifthing?) the "nice layout" sentiments!
I've never read Dorothy Parker, but this poem has me thinking that I really need to remedy that. And she's a jokester too. Where have I been?!
And your new layout is very cool.
Your last post about Christopher Moore exemplifies your funny bone!
Thanks for sharing Dorothy Parker with us. I would love to see a wit contest between men and women-hysterical!
That gave me my chuckle for the day!
That was a good one, Jenners. I love the "joke". Such a talented lady.
That's my favorite of her jokes too! Great poem to start the day with. Thanks!
my favourite of hers has always been On Perfect Rose:
A single flow'r he sent me, since we met.
All tenderly his messenger he chose;
Deep-hearted, pure, with scented dew still wet -
One perfect rose.
I knew the language of the floweret;
'My fragile leaves,' it said, 'his heart enclose.'
Love long has taken for his amulet
One perfect rose.
Why is it no one ever sent me yet
One perfect limousine, do you suppose?
Ah no, it's always just my luck to get
One perfect rose.
thanks for sharing
martine
a. you do have at least 10%
b. my husband would read this poem and say, perplexed, "and her point?"
c. totally with Cara on the blog
Very good. I loved both poem and 'joke'.
That was cute. Thanks for sharing. I love, love, love the new layout, especially the origami crane and he steampunk search box.