résumé (dorothy parker)

Juão Maya presents

RÉSUMÉA poem by Dorothy Parker

NOTES ON “RÉSUMÉ”

This little eight-line poem is one of Parker’s most famous, basedon her experience in attempting suicide the first time by slittingher wrists in 1923.

The last line – “You might as well live” – is exactly what her friendRobert Benchley said to her at the time. It serves as the punchline or the reversal “point” of the classical epigram, with a switchto a resigned or unconcerned tone of voice contrasting with themethodical catalog of suicide attempts.

https://prezi.com/uog47x3fbhsq/resume-by-dorothy-parker/http://www.enotes.com/topics/resume

The theme of “Résumé” is death and suicide and the poem is fairlyobvious in being a laundry list of suicide methods.But the theme could also be life, for it is too much hassle to cause death -- and Parker says in her poem that trying to commit suicideis harder than living.

RÉSUMÉ

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.

MUSIC

“Aria” – Goldberg VariationsJ. S. Bach

Glenn Gould, piano

Images from internet