Figurative Language:
The use of figurative language, such as metaphor and similes, is prominent in the poem as Piercy sheds light on the changes that a young girl faces to gain acceptability in society. An elegy on the gloomy death of female individuality and free will, the poem uses an extended metaphor of a Barbie doll to present the perceptions of society about women’s beauty and sheds light on how these societal beliefs impact their self-image and self-worth, shaping the ideals of beauty standards. The metaphor of the Barbie doll highlights the gender stereotypes and the expectations of how females are supposed to look, and ultimately, through the “undertaker’s cosmetics”, the girl can achieve the perfect Barbie look (20). Marge Piercy uses a simile to compare the worn-out good nature of the girl with a fan belt while shedding light on how defeated the girl feels in a society with such unrealistic expectations (15-16).
Imagery:
Imagery is quite dominant in this poem. With the use of strong vocabulary and descriptive phrases, the poem highlights Barbie’s various accessories, such as stoves, irons, and miniature lipsticks (2-4). This description takes the reader back to their childhood and playtime memories. The description of the girl with only a nose and fat legs not only invokes a mental image but also appeals to the auditory senses, as one can almost hear the mean classmates making fun of the girl’s appearance (5-6). The distress of the girl as she apologizes to the world and the advisements she receives to “exercise, diet, smile, and wheedle” all add up to create a perfect image of the girl in the mind of the readers (10-14). The description of death through the satin cloth, the undertaker’s cosmetics, the turned-up nose, and the pink and white dress is also a perfect example of imagery (19-22).
Rhyme And Meter:
The poem has free flow rather than evident rhyme and meter. However, there are many pieces of evidence of the use of enjambment – one line running into the next one. Piercy enlists the many things, such as stoves, irons, and lipsticks, that society uses to promote gender stereotypes and does so in the form of continuous free-flowing sentences (1-4). Lines 7-9 continue with a similar pattern and enlist all the skills the girl possesses, while the next two lines have an abrupt ending, conveying a to-the-point thought (10-11). An example of rhyme can be seen in the use of the words pee-pee/ candy (2-4). The free-verse style gives the poem a story-like form rather than a conventional poem.
Theme:
The central theme of this poem is the obsessive need to conform to the societal standards of beauty and gender stereotypes. It highlights the sentiments that are at the core of feminism. Piercy provides an insight into the life of a young girl and how, from birth, her perceptions are influenced through play accessories like stoves and irons and items to improve her appearance, like a toy lipstick (1-4). The idea that girls must maintain a perfect physical appearance like a Barbie and that they must keep on apologizing for being anything less are highlighted in this poem (10). The reader gets an insight into the despair of women as they try to prove their worth to society and strive to be accepted, with many pushed to commit suicide when their patience wanes. The poem ends on a final note, and each woman gets her happy ending in death when, after the undertaker’s cosmetics, they become a perfect picture of beauty (19-22).
Works Cited
Piercy, Marge. Barbie doll. Detroit: Red Mountain Tribe, Incorporated, 1971.
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