“Advertisement” Introduction

• Read the full text of “Advertisement”

“Advertisement” Summary

“Advertisement” Themes

• 

  The False Comfort of Self-Medication

  Where this theme appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-28
• 

  Modern Anxiety and Loss of Faith

  Where this theme appears in the poem:

  • Lines 13-17
  • Lines 22-25
  • Lines 26-28

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Advertisement”

• Lines 1-6

  I’m a tranquilizer. ...
  ... cups with care.

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 7-10

  All you have ...
  ... glass of water.

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 11-15

  I know how ...
  ... suits your face.

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 16-17

  What are you ...
  ... my chemical compassion.

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 18-21

  You’re still a ...
  ... on the chin?

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 22-25

  Let me have ...
  ... to fall on.

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 26-28

  Sell me your ...
  ... other devil anymore.

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

“Advertisement” Symbols

• 

  The Tranquilizer

  Where this symbol appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-28

“Advertisement” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Anthropomorphism

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where anthropomorphism appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-28

• Anaphora

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where anaphora appears in the poem:

  • Line 1: “I’m”
  • Line 2: “I’m”
  • Line 3: “I”
  • Line 4: “I”
  • Line 6: “I”
  • Line 11: “I”
  • Line 13: “I”
  • Line 27: “There”
  • Line 28: “There”

• Metaphor

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where metaphor appears in the poem:

  • Line 6: “I mend broken cups with care.”
  • Line 15: “or pick the widow’s veil that suits your face.”
  • Line 17: “have faith in my chemical compassion.”
  • Lines 20-21: “Who said / you have to take it on the chin?”
  • Lines 22-25: “Let me have your abyss. / I’ll cushion it with sleep. / You’ll thank me for giving you / four paws to fall on.”

• End-Stopped Line

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where end-stopped line appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-3
  • Lines 5-8
  • Line 10
  • Lines 11-19
  • Line 21
  • Lines 22-23
  • Lines 25-28

• Rhetorical Question

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where rhetorical question appears in the poem:

  • Line 16: “What are you waiting for—”
  • Lines 20-21: “Who said / you have to take it on the chin?”

• Allusion

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

  Where allusion appears in the poem:

  • Lines 26-28: “Sell me your soul. / There are no other takers. / There is no other devil anymore.”

“Advertisement” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Tranquilizer
• Widow's veil
• Unwind
• Take it on the chin
• Abyss

• (Location in poem: Line 1: “I’m a tranquilizer.”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Advertisement”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“Advertisement” Speaker

“Advertisement” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “Advertisement”

More “Advertisement” Resources

• External Resources

  • Szymborska: A Retrospective — Read the New York Times's 2021 obituary of the poet, which looks back at her award-winning career.

  • A Celebration of the Poet — Watch the 92Y program "Celebrating Wisława Szymborska" (2015).

  • Szymborska, Nobel Laureate — A biography and other materials related to Wisława Szymborska, winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature.

  • The Poet's Life and Work — Read a biography of Szymborska at the Poetry Foundation.

  • A Conversation with the Poet — Watch a 1995 profile featuring a conversation with Szymborska.