Indian Summer Dorthy Parker
Author Dorothy Parker Born: August 22, 1893 Long Branch, New Jersey Died: June 7, 1967 (age 73) New York City
History She was an American poet, short story writer, journalist, critic, feminist and satirist. “Best known for her wit, wisecracks and eye for 20th-century urban foibles.” 1910s-she worked for Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines 1920s-she worked as a book reviewer for The New Yorker 1930/40s-she wrote screenplays in Hollywood, California 1960s-she returned to New York, then later died in 1967 -She became politically active, defending civil and women’s rights. -She had an unfortunate/hard childhood
Title “Indian Summer” Literal definition: “a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather that sometimes occurs in autumn in the Northern hemisphere.” Significance to the poem: an Indian Summer is a rare occasion, much like how self acceptance and realizing one is unable to please everybody is rare.
Paraphrase Indian Summer is a cultivating, and empowering poem. At the beginning of the poem, it explains in youth we try to please everyone and act how others want us to act. But, by the end of the poem the author is explaining how with age we become wiser and do what we want to do, because the importance to please others diminishes.
Vocabulary Lad; means a man/boy (And change, with every passing lad) Theories; what he expects, his standards (To suit his theories)
Diction Youth; happy, easy, fun (In youth, it was a way I had) Change; unsettling, uncomfortable, frightening ( And change, with every passing lad) Hell; powerful (To hell, my love, with you!)
Tone The simplicity of the vocabulary gives more emphasis for a powerful tone Motivating (And do the things I do) Empowering (To hell, my love, with you!)
Poetic Devices Repetition; know the things I know; do the things I do Alliteration; was a way Assonance; And if you do not like me so,
Form Lyric and/or Epigram; short witty poem (“Best known for her wit, wisecracks and eye for 20th-century urban foibles.”) 2 stanzas, 4 lines each Rhyme Scheme ABAB 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!
Speaker/Audience Female Feminist First person Toward young readers and youth
Purpose Advice to youth Declaration of independence Motivating to be yourself
Shift Hopeless to Happy Un-motivating to motivating In youth, it was a way I had To do my best to please, And change, with every passing lad, To suit his theories. (SHIFT) 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!
The End Thank you for watching!