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Literature & Language
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English (U.S.)
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Poem Comparison and Analysis: Barbie Doll and My Papa's Waltz

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Create an analysis of various poems

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Poem Comparison and Analysis
Poetry is an excellent form of expressing one's inner feelings and sending out a message to people. The Barbie doll and Marge Piercy and my papa Waltz by Theodore Roethke are examples of excellently written poems. They send a powerful message that leaves the reader wanting more. This essay is going to compare and contrast some of the aspects of the poems.
The two poems are similar in that both are four stanza poems, and both have a character who is a woman. Barbie doll's central character is a girl who grows up to become a beautiful woman. The sonnet starts by introducing a "girl child" who is quickly given all the toys she needs to teach herself how to be a decent mother and spouse. She has a "GE stove" and an infant doll, which needs diaper changes. The young lady is promptly being prepared in her future submissive role. In papa's waltz, a woman's role is also shown "My mother's countenance could not unfrown itself." The second stanza depicts the figurative dance further. The child and father moved through the kitchen, upsetting the equilibrium of the room. His mom disliked the entire activity. She could not "unfrown" herself. This proposes that she also is used to this turbulent relationship; however, she doesn't support it. The role of a woman in both poems shows that they have a lesser say in what happens. They are forced to accept situations the way they are because they are weak to do anything for a change.
Both poems make use of several literary devices; they both share the use of enjambment. This is a standard formal tool used in poetry that indicates how lines end. On occasion, a line ends before concluding a sentence; it is said to be enjambed. Papa waltz uses enjambment in a very usual way in the second stanza; lines six and eight are enjambed. In Barbie doll, the first stanza, the shift between lines one and two and lines four and five of the third stanza is an excellent example of enjambment.
The differences between the two poems are plenty; we will start with the differences in their plot. In the Barbie doll, the sonnet opens with the speaker referring to a child's birth, and she is given toys that she plays with .The woman becomes strong, smart, and full of health; however, the kids see a large nose and fat legs. The society teaches her how to act, to be modest, and always to be cheerful. Eventually she is worn out "like a fan belt” and “she cuts off her nose and her legs and offered them up”. During the funeral, the undertaker has created a clay nose for the girl and those around marvel how pretty she is. Because she is stunning, the girl child gets a happy ending. The plot of papa's waltz is very different; in this sonnet's initial lines, the speaker depicts his dad's bourbon breath, his moves, and how "Such waltzing was not easy.” This dancing is immediately uncovered to be spinning disarray of planned brutality. It is evident that this "dance" the two take part in is not anything new. They "romped" and "waltzed" in the kitchen, making a wreck, a lot to the mother's disappointment.
The themes of the poem communicate two completely different things. "My Papa's Waltz" elaborates themes of Family, a...
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