"Advertisement" first appeared in Wisława Szymborska's 1972 collection Could Have; this English-language version is translated from the Polish original by Stanisław Barańczak. The poem is a dramatic monologue from the perspective of a "tranquilizer," or sedative drug, that's advertising its benefits to prospective buyers. The speaker promises not only to help with relaxation and sleep but to "cushion" all of life's miseries—including existential ones, such as "God's absence" and fear of the "abyss." Its sales pitch hints that, for modern consumers, medication has replaced the religions that would once have helped them cope with their troubles. At the same time, the speaker warns that, like a deal with the "devil," these drugs can take more than they give.

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• “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.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 7-10

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

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 11-15

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

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 16-17

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

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 18-21

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

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 22-25

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

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 26-28

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

    

    

    

    

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• “Advertisement” Symbols

  • 

    The Tranquilizer

    Where this symbol appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-28

• “Advertisement” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

  • Anthropomorphism

    

    

    

    

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    Where anthropomorphism appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-28

  • Anaphora

    

    

    

    

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    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

    

    

    

    

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    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

    

    

    

    

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    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

    

    

    

    

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    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

    

    

    

    

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    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.

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