Poetry Question
Please answer the following two parts:
Part one: Discuss the poem
“Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy
This girlchild was born as usual
and presented dolls that did pee-pee
and miniature GE stoves and irons
and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy.
Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said:
You have a great big nose and fat legs.
She was healthy, tested intelligent,
possessed strong arms and back,
abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity.
She went to and fro apologizing.
Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs.
She was advised to play coy,
exhorted to come on hearty,
exercise, diet, smile and wheedle.
Her good nature wore out
like a fan belt.
So she cut off her nose and her legs
and offered them up.
In the casket displayed on satin she lay
with the undertaker’s cosmetics painted on,
a turned-up putty nose,
dressed in a pink and white nightie.
Doesn’t she look pretty? everyone said.
Consummation at last.
To every woman a happy ending.
Keep in mind that “Barbie Doll” is only printed in the title of the poem, and not mentioned in the poem itself. It is up to the reader to bring the connotation to the title of the poem.
Some things you could discuss here are:
A brief discussion of what the poem is about.
What is the denotation of Barbie? What is the connotation?
How does Piercy manage to carry the connotation of Barbie throughout the poem?
What was wrong with the “girlchild” mentioned in this poem? How do you know? Is this part of the connotation in the poem?
What happens to the “girlchild” at the end of the poem? Is this because of the connotation of Barbie?
You may discuss anything you find noteworthy in this poem, just be sure that you are bringing some measure of connotation into your discussion of the poem. The questions above are suggestions, and by no means do I expect you to answer them one by one. They are just to get you thinking about your own response.
Part Two: Read
“I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman and “I, Too” by Langston Hughes
Both of these poems can be found here: I Hear America Singing and I, Too.docxRead both poems carefully. Once you are finished,
Discuss the imagery in each poem.
What images do we see in Whitman’s poem? Use quotes to illustrate some of the images.
Also consider, do you think Whitman is saying that all of these people are literally singing? What does he mean by “I hear America singing?”
Do the same with the Hughes poem.
What images do you see in that poem?
Does the tone of Hughes’ poem differ from the tone of Whitman’s?
How is the imagery different?
Finally, consider what you know about Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes. Do you think the authors’ backgrounds have anything to do with the two different views of America presented here?
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