A Chorus Girl
A Chorus Girl - meaning Summary
Theatrical Life at Its End
The poem depicts the end of a chorus girl’s public life when applause and lights vanish. The speaker imagines her backstage and later in the street, makeup and performance stripped away, revealing weariness and a resigned smile. She is likened to Magdalen and cast as both defeated and desirable; her heartbreak and role as objectified desire coexist. The final voice briefly acknowledges the speaker’s own complicity in this view.
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addressed to ‘thou’. a woman, i think, who retired from stage and finished her career (tinsel) in film. author of the poem misses her. maybe romantically, sexually. ‘…defeat, her heart breaks in a smile and she is …lust’ is a moving image of her. ending with a moving image of the author, supporting character. less playful than some of his others. what do you think of what i think?