# A Competitor explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

The narrator, addressing Mrs. Frona Eunice Wait, humorously defends her own unconventional physique against artistic standards of beauty, asserting that her father's pride and her own confidence in self-promotion matter more than conforming to ideals. She challenges Wait to compete herself, questioning why she does not enter the fray.

## Themes in this chapter

### Art and Criticism

The poem critiques artistic standards of beauty, with the narrator rejecting the idea that all women should conform to a single ideal like Venus.

### Deception and Self-Deception

The narrator's boastful self-presentation may mask insecurity, and she challenges Frona Eunice Wait's authority, hinting at hidden motives.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The speaker, a self-described competitor who boasts of her father's praise and her own appeal despite not meeting conventional beauty standards.

## Key lines

> My legs are not so very straight; My spine, I’m sorry to observe, Maintains a most rebellious curve; My neck is skinny, and my bust Would justify a husband’s trust.

I admit my legs are crooked, my spine curves, my neck is thin, and my chest is modest.

_The narrator lists her physical flaws with self-deprecating humor._

> But papa thinks his Mary Ann Is built upon a gorgeous plan.

But my father believes I am beautifully made.

_The narrator contrasts her own critical view with her father's pride._

> For some are made for this, and some For that⁠—you take ’em as they come.

Different people are suited for different things; you accept them as they are.

_A defense of diversity in beauty, rejecting uniformity._

> I care not what the artists say⁠— I’m in it and I’m in to stay.

I don't care about artists' opinions; I am competing and will persist.

_The narrator asserts her determination despite criticism._

> My papa says: 'Why, Mary Ann, She’s from Beërsheba to Dan!'

My father says I am famous from one end of the country to the other.

_A biblical reference exaggerating her widespread renown._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/a-competitor
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters