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Sondheim's Art

 It's National Poetry Month, so here's a poem Sondheim once wrote; the speaker is about to be married.

Pardon me, is everybody here?
Because if everybody's here
I'd like to thank you all
For coming to the wedding.
I'd appreciate you going even more--
I mean, you must have lots of better things to do--
And not a word of it to Paul.
Remember Paul? You know, the man I'm going to marry
But I'm not, because I wouldn't ruin anything
As wonderful as he is.
Thank you all for the gifts and the flowers,
Thank you all; now it's back to the showers.....
Don't tell Paul, but I'm not getting married today.

The speaker is a mess and thinks she is not entitled to marry. ("I wouldn't want to belong to any club that would have me as a member.") Though she would like to be courteous to her guests ("I'd like to thank you all for coming"), the speaker (Amy) also wants to clear the decks. This is a source of humor; Amy actually suggests it's a bit of enlightened selfishness to leave the party. ("You must have lots of better things to do....") Finally, although she is capsizing her wedding, Amy doesn't want her fiance to know; somehow, he can be spared the knowledge that the biggest day of his life won't be happening. ("Not a word of it to Paul....")

Sondheim talks about form matching content, and you can see this in his syntax. A loony speaker gets a loony run-on: "The man I'm gonna marry but I'm not because I wouldn't ruin anything as wonderful as he is...." Also, our crazed Amy sees the wedding as a kind of sport, maybe a gladiatorial battle. ("Thank you all; now it's back to the showers....")

This is a favorite of mine, and I hope we'll get a chance to hear it back on Broadway sometime soon.
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