Vanessa Brown
A.P. Literature and Composition
Kathy Saunders
25 February 2014
Marge Piercy writes poems that are complimentary in regards to modern diction. Many of
her poems have themes that relate to body size, self-image and the perception of self-image by
society. “Always Unsuitable,” “Barbie Doll” and “What Are Big Girls Made Of?” all display this
theme. Piercy also displays strong feelings towards the roles of women in society in poems such
as “The Morning Half-Life Blues” and “A Work of Artifice.” Most of Piercy’s poetry has themes
which are easy to understand. Also, her poems are beautiful and powerful.
“I look a stuffed turkey in a suit” and “breasts too big for the silhouette” in “Always
Unsuitable” describes the image of a woman who is not suitable for marriage. Society wants
women who are “hatched from the eggs of pearls” and “well behaved.” The speaker compares
herself to “quicksand,” “the alley cat,” “the dirty book you don’t leave out” and “the center-fold
you masturbate with.” These descriptions give a sexual appeal to the speaker and make her seem
as if she is a stripper. “Center-fold you masturbate with” suggests that she is something used for
pleasure, but is not suitable for marriage. “I might have rattled the windows of your sorry
marriages” suggests that the mothers marry someone because they are seen as suitable for
marriage, but not for love.
One of Piercy’s most famous poems, “Barbie Doll,” presents the harshness of society.
“Great big nose and fat legs” is all that society notices despite the female’s “strong arms and
back,” “manual dexterity” and her healthiness and intelligence. Despite the wholesome qualities
of the subject of the poem, society only notices the imperfections. In order to fit into society, the
girl is required to “exercise” and “play coy.” Ultimately, pressures from society cause the girl to
“cut off her nose and her legs.” At the end of the poem the subject is “in the casket displayed on
satin” and “dressed in a pink and white nightie” with “cosmetics painted on” and “a turned-up
putty nose” for everyone to view and admire. These descriptions symbolize a Barbie doll. Barbie
dolls can be seen as an example for how a person should look. Women are expected to form
themselves into doll-like beings, which is very unrealistic. Rather than appreciating themselves
for their unique features, women tear themselves down and build themselves in order to strive at
appearing as something ‘perfect.’ Self-image is a big theme in today’s world and is increasingly
becoming an important part of people’s lives.
“What Are Big Girls Made Of?” is another poem that displays the harshness of society.
Women are compelled to view themselves as non-human things like “science projects,”
“gardens” and “dogs.” The constant use of imagery allows the reader to become absorbed in the
poem and understand the powerful meaning. Alliteration is also used constantly throughout the
poem. There are many shifts in the poem. The author uses words such as “construction” and
“manufactured” in the beginning to make women seem as they are machines rather than people.
There is a large portion of the poem on sexual appeal and ultimately shifts to what is
unrealistically expected of women. “A woman made of pain” is repeated to enhance the overall
tone and meaning of the poem. Today’s society expects women to conform to false expectations
which ultimately causes them pain.
Piercy’s “The Morning Half-Life Blues” describe the lives of working women as a
routine with a tone that is gloomy. There is use of personification in “shop windows snicker,”
which enhances the items inside which the woman cannot afford or is “not pretty enough” to
buy. The women in the story are going through a stance and looking for happiness. Stanza two
describes the boring, daily routine and ends with “no one will give or sell us the key though we
have all thought briefly we found it drunk or in bed.” This ending phrase suggests that the
women are searching for the key to life, the reason for it. “Thin legs,” “green eyelids” and
“strawberry breasts” create the image of what may be seen as an attractive woman by society.
Hair, makeup and body size are of importance when reflected by the world. “Living is later” is a
phrase which describes the overall situation of the women. The women are stuck in office
cubicles, working and appealing to society. The last stanza ties the entire poem together and
embodies the meaning of the title. “You will be less at forty than at twenty” describes the halflife. Women will age and ripen and soon become un-appealing.
“A Work of Artifice” is a poem that perfectly embodies Piercy’s feministic views. “The
bonsai tree” is a symbol for a woman. The gardener that prunes it is described as “he”’ which
suggests that the poem is speaking of the woman as the tree and the man as the one who keeps it
from growing to its full potential. “Could have grown eighty feet tall” displays the full potential
of women; however, the tree is carefully kept small and weak within a pot. Towards the end of
the poem, Piercy shifts from connotation to denotation. “One must begin very early to dwarf
their growth; the bound feet, the crippled brain, the hair in curlers” describes the painful
expectations of women. Society wants women to be perfect ‘beautiful’ beings, and have created
a Barbie doll image which is nearly impossible to uphold.
Piercy has mostly straight-forward poems. She is not afraid to expose the harshness of
society and society’s expectations for women. Through analyzing “Always Unsuitable,” “Barbie
Doll,” “What Are Big Girls Made Of?” “The Morning Half-Life Blues” and “A Work of
Artifice,” I was inspired and awed at her work. Almost all of Piercy’s poems have the same
theme which is noticeable through these four poems. These poems were very powerful and harsh
at times; however, the meaning portrayed was extremely powerful. Her use of modern diction
makes the poems very relatable and easy to understand. Marge Piercy is definitely an astounding
poet and her works should be more exposed to today’s world.