Modernist Women Writers and Whimsy: Marianne Moore and Dorothy Parker

oleh: Will May

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2020-03-01

Deskripsi

This article assesses the work of Dorothy Parker (1893&#8722;1967) and Marianne Moore (1887&#8722;1972) in relation to the aesthetic category of whimsy. It considers how whimsy has been used as a term of dismissal for American women poets, outlines ways both writers&#8217; receptions have been informed by this context, and explores questions of cost, worth, and value raised by their work. It situates whimsy in relation to Sianne Ngai&#8217;s account of diminutive modes in <i>Our Aesthetic Categories</i> (2015) and suggests why American women&#8217;s modernist poetry can be a useful context for exploring the aesthetic and cultural associations of whimsy.