This poem is basically about how society ruins a woman's self-perception. The specific woman described in this poem was an intelligent, healthy, and all-around good person, but all anyone ever saw was her looks (described in stanza 2). I think the first stanza really says a lot. In this stanza, the speaker compares childhood to adulthood. As a child, one is innocent and content; no one thinks about if their nose is too big or if they have fat legs. As that child grows and hits puberty, self-image becomes a pretty big deal; peer pressure and even pressure from the media tells women to look a certain a way. I found irony in the phrase "magic of puberty" because there was nothing magical about it; in fact, puberty lead to her self-destruction.
I think the last two lines really show the satirical tone of the poem: "Consummation at last. To every woman a happy ending." (lines 24-25). The speaker is trying to explain how wrong it is to put such pressure on women to look like a perfect Barbie doll, to be forced into "beauty". I found it interesting that the girl's dolls, childhood toys symbolic of innocence and purity, could also be construed to represent society's perception of beauty.
Until Next Time,
Alysse
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