ties between “80-Proof” (Ammons, p. 1021) and “Resume” (Parker, p. 1083) are not based on numerical symbols, but rather their abstract symbols of life. The title, “Resume,” seems to sum up the history of a life; seven lines perhaps signifying seven different important times or stages, spanning a lifetime. Symbols such as “razors,” “drugs,” “guns,” “nooses,” and “gas smells,” (1-7) are easily recognized as methods of suicide. The whole poem is depressing and offers little hope except that the means of death are not pleasant enough to be appealing. Both Parker and Ammons share the years from 1926 to 1936, a time in which America was encased with the prohibition movement, illegal booze, and the Great Depression. These years seem to set the tone for these poems in that the nation was on a slide from top to bottom, resulting in the end of life for many. One can see the allusions to prosperity in “80-Proof” (p. 1021) with such words as “steak & chops/ & chicken fat,/ two-over-easy & cream-on-the-side” (7-9). In contrast, “Resume” (p. 1083) offers a grim listing of the physical feel to death described by “pain, damp, cramp, awful smell” (1, 2, 4, 7) which are usually associated with poverty. There is very little hope evident in either poem. Parker’s “Resume” (p. 1083) ends with a resigned “You might as well live” (8), while Ammons ends “80-Proof” (p. 1021) with a decision “whether to retain/ the shallow stain/ or go 100% spiritual” (16-18).What an uplifting contrast provided by Lee’s “A Final Thing” (p. 1070). His allusions are introduced in a much more subtle way, fooling the reader with a totally different first mental image than what is revealed toward the end. The wording and phrases used are elegant and emotional, e...
