Dorothy Parker’s poem, “One Perfect Rose,” is about being disappointed about the cliches associated with romance. In this particular poem, she receives a perfect rose, which is a symbol of love and desire. Although the rose is a perfect specimen, she is ultimately disappointed by it, wishing she would receive something like a limousine instead. The poem is effective because it relies on the reader’s expectation of reading a traditional love poem, but then delivers a twist at the end when it reveals the speaker’s disappointment.

In this way, the poem works because it sets up the reader into expecting one thing will happen, but then changes it at the very last moment. Normally, when someone receives a rose, they are happy because it shows how they are loved. While the speaker does seem to appreciate the rose to some extent, she ultimately wishes she would receive something either more practical or more luxurious. In this case, she uses an example of a limousine as something that would have more value than a rose.

The poem uses a very specific rhyme scheme. The end word of each line rhymes with either the word met or chose, which are the end-words of the first two lines. Met is rhymed with wet, floweret, amulet, yet, and get; while chose is rhymed with rose, enclose and suppose. The word rose is used for three different end-rhymes. For the most part, each of the rhymes alternates, except for the fourth line, which uses both wet and rose to rhyme with the rest of the words. The rhyme scheme is effective because it maintains a rhythm throughout the poem that is recognizable and easy to follow. Keeping in line with the theme of the poem, which is a reversal on traditional romantic notions, the poem uses romantic imagery when describing the rose itself; she states that it is deep-hearted, pure, with scented dew still wet. This language is used to also set up the reader’s expectation that this will be a standard poem on love, as this is the language used in traditional love poems.

The story of the poem begins with the speaker receiving a rose from her lover. The rose is described as being a perfect specimen, so that it is beautiful in every aspect. She then goes on to say that she understands the meaning of a rose: that it is intended to be a symbol of her lover’s devotion to her, and that this would normally be considered a sweet gesture. The delicate petals, referred to as leaves in the poem, are intended to symbolize her lover’s heart. However, this is where the twist in the poem occurs. The speaker essentially claims that although she understands the meaning and intent of the flower, she views it as somewhat of a cliche because it lacks originality, and at the end of the day, a rose does not do much for her. She reveals that she would rather have received a limousine, or something with practical value. The poem then ends with the speaker saying that her usual luck is to only receive a rose, revealing her disappointment.

The humor of the poem is realizing that the speaker does not appreciate the rose in the way that it was intended. Although she is not necessarily offended that she received the rose, her general attitude is that she has received many roses before, and this one is nothing special, even though the person that gave it to her tells her that his heart is enclosed within the rose. This is romantic language that ultimately has little value for the speaker; she is someone who wants something more, who wants to receive something that millions of other girls haven’t received in the same way. Thus, she is criticizing her lover’s originality, as well as showing how impractical roses can be. We also learn that the speaker is used to receiving flowers as gifts, which emphasizes that she is desirable for many. Although she ultimately wishes for a limousine instead, this part is also meant to be humorous, as a limousine would be an extravagant gift. Nevertheless, the poem is effective because it relies on traditional expectations, then delivers a twist. In this case, the expectation from the reader’s point of view is that this will be a standard love poem, but once the speaker’s disappointment is revealed, the humor in the poem is revealed.