Original Analysis Here: https://ddcpoetry.blogspot.com/2013/02/analysis-of-plays-by-lloyd-schwartz.html
This was a harsh critique of the poem. I feel I've changed my way of looking at poems. To me the criticism I wrote felt like I was trying to hard to make a point rather than looking at the poem. Also, me being so self aware of myself feels like I'm still getting over my nervousness of writing anything at all.
Who is "Beatrice Joanna"? What is the "Changling"? Who is Thomas Middleton? Those are the first questions I should ask when reading this.
Let this be a lesson to look up references in poems. The first two stanza are exposition that tell the scene of Beatrice realizing her betrothed has been assassinated by Deflores who desires her but she finds repulsive.
The second stanza sums up the rest of the play of how Beatrice ends up falling in love with her twin, the ugly assassin.
Part 2 of the poem continues after the description of the play where the speaker is playing out a scenario about the a gold ring and a scam to get it back. But the speaker is too smart about this trick and is able to avoid the scam. And continues to foil with every sly humorous judgement on his end and a deadly seriousness from the scammers perspective.
The sense of hubris here comes off ironic to me. How Beatrice felt like she had control of a situation until the she was blackmailed out of her virginity. The speaker has lower stakes of keeping control which the only punishment is a middle finger given towards from the scammer.
However, maybe I'm thinking too much into the poem like how I wanted to make a point through this poem.
An Elizabeth Bishop scholar, a music critic, a Pulitzer, and Poet Laureate of the City of Somerville from 2019 to 2021. I get more New York style of poetry from this work. I wonder how Elizabeth Bishop influences him.
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