"A Certain Lady," by Dorothy Parker

Dorothy Parker lived from 1893 to 1963. Her work as a poet, literary critic, and short story author was heavily influenced by her unhappy childhood. Both her parents died within a short period of time and her uncle died as a passenger on the Titanic. Her talent and success took a blow when she was listed as a communist on theHollywood blacklist. 

Oh, I can smile for you, and tilt my head, 
And drink your rushing words with eager lips, 
And paint my mouth for you a fragrant red, 
And trace your brows with tutored finger-tips. 
When you rehearse your list of loves to me, 
Oh, I can laugh and marvel, rapturous-eyed. 
And you laugh back, nor can you ever see 
The thousand little deaths my heart has died. 
And you believe, so well I know my part, 
That I am gay as morning, light as snow, 
And all the straining things within my heart 
You'll never know. 

Oh, I can laugh and listen, when we meet, 
And you bring tales of fresh adventurings, -- 
Of ladies delicately indiscreet, 
Of lingering hands, and gently whispered things. 
And you are pleased with me, and strive anew 
To sing me sagas of your late delights. 
Thus do you want me -- marveling, gay, and true, 
Nor do you see my staring eyes of nights. 
And when, in search of novelty, you stray, 
Oh, I can kiss you blithely as you go .... 
And what goes on, my love, while you're away, 
You'll never know. 

Initially the speaker conveys a light-hearted and happy tone, particularly in the first four lines as she conveys her devotion to this man. She smiles and tilts her head for him while listening to his stories. Her appearance, such as her "fragrant mouth" painted red and her "tutored finger-tips" deepens the reader’s understanding of the affection she feels for this man. 
However, we do not get a full sense of the speaker until later in the poem. She explains that she cannot only "laugh and marvel, rapturous-eyed" as the man shares his "list of loves" and stories "of ladies delicately indiscreet, of lingering hands, and gently whispered things," but she can also hide "the thousand little deaths (her) heart has died." The contrast between the speaker's light-hearted tone and the dark emotions she experiences parallels the speaker's tragic situation and all that is hidden from or unknown to the man she clearly loves so deeply. 
She does eventually convey a defeated tone as she explains that he is completely oblivious to her feelings and desire for his love. Because she knows her "part" so well, she appears "gay as morning, light as snow." 

In the last two lines of the poem the speaker further conveys a tone of sadness and frustration. When the man leaves "in search of novelty," the speaker remains behind heartbroken and suffering 
emotionally, and perhaps even mentally and physically, but the man will never know. Instead, when he returns, she'll be waiting for him, "marvelous, gay, and true," ready to listen as he "sings (her) sagas of (his) late delights."