She was always on a diet,she used to smile wheedle every time.But she was uncomfortable about her nose and legs,so she decided to have them corrected and did.
People thought what a beautiful girl she was,with pink dress,white nightie and a painted face,when she was lying in her satin covered coffin.
So we can summarize what the poem says as following:
Physical beauty isnt permanent.
Analysis of the Poem line by line:
1.This girlchild was born as usual: In this line we understand that the poem is about a girl,and she was born like other children.
2.and presented dolls that did pee-pee: Here we see that this little girl looked like dools who peed,so we understand that she was beautiful.
3.and miniature stoves and irons: In these lines the poet
goes on describing the dolls
4.and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy: whom he thought the girl
looked like.
5.Then in the magic of puberty a classmate said: Here we understand that a classmate of the girl’s said something unpleasant to girl,because he says it “in the magic of puberty”.
6.You have a great big nose and fat legs: We see that he thought she had a fat nose and thick legs,And he told this to her face.
7.She was healthy,tested intelligent: She had no health problems,she was very intelligent,maybe she was a certified intelligent.
8.possessed strong arms and back: she had strong arms and a well-built body.
9.abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity: she was attractive and very quick in manual activities.
10.She went to and pro apologizing: This line tells that she was a polite girl who apologized at every opportunity.
11.Everyone saw a fat nose and thick legs: Here we understand that not only her classmate,but also everybody thought she had fat nose and thick legs.
12.She was advised to play coy: She used to behave coyly,shyly.she was very girlish,she was a pretty girl.
13.Exhorted to come on hearty: She was told to behave sincerely to poeple,to be like herself,not to PLAY.
14.Exercise,diet,smile and wheedle: She used to go on a diet all her life.She was a smiling girl and she was good at oral activities,such as persuading people...
15.Her good nature wore out:
16.Like a fan belt: Her natural features changed so much.
17.So she cut off her nose and her legs: She had her legs and nose corrected at last,she had operations.
18.and offered then up: She put her operated legs and nose proudly on display.She showed them proudly to people.
19.In the casket displayed on satin she lay: We slightly understand that following lines are about death because the poet uses the phrase “the casket displayed on the satin she lay”,that is where dead people lays.
20.with undertaker’s cosmetics painted on: here we became sure that she died because we understand that her face was painted with undertaker’s cosmetics. Undertaker is the person who paints dead people’s faces.
21.A turned-up putty nose: In this line,the truth that she had her nose operated is repeated,and it makes us infer something like she had all those operations and they were in vain because she died at last.And her nose was putty,because she was dead
22.dressed in pink and white nightie: She was dressed in pink and white nightie,so she must be looking pretty.
23.Doesnt she look pretty? Everone said: Everybody at her funeral thinks that she was pretty.
24.Consummation al last: Here the girl is said to be excellently beautiful,as she always wanted.And the people at her funeral thinks that she was perfect “at last”.
25.to every woman a happy ending: she became happy as every woman will be at the end.
