Chapter 25 Summary

Death and Taxes is a collection of short poems. The poetry in this section revolves around remorse and the frustration of being forced to live when one would rather die. There is a tale of caution in Ballade of Unfortunate Mammals when Parker warns that a man should be careful of making a partner out of a woman or an elephant because neither ever forgets.

Tombstones in Starlight is a collection of humorous verses similar to epitaphs. Parker speaks of many people one might see in the cemetery, including The Minor Poet, The Pretty Lady, The Very Rich Man, The Fisherwoman, The Crusader, and The Actress.

Chapter 25 Analysis

Death and Taxes is another selection of poetry used to separate the short stories.

Parker continues to be obsessed with death and dying. Tombstones in Starlight is a lighthearted look at a group of unidentified...