Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Marge Piercy’s poem "Beauty I Would Suffer For" is a compelling exploration of societal standards of beauty, personal desire, and the conflict between indulgence and self-discipline. Through vivid imagery and candid reflection, Piercy delves into the complex relationship many people have with food, body image, and societal expectations.

The poem opens with the speaker recounting a doctor’s advice to indulge in food to recover from anemia after an operation: "Last week a doctor told me / anemic after an operation / to eat: ordered to indulgence / given a papal dispensation to run / amok in Zabar's." This medical directive to indulge is framed almost as a rare permission, a "papal dispensation," emphasizing the unusual nature of such an allowance in the context of the speaker's usual restraint.

Despite this temporary freedom, the speaker is acutely aware that it is short-lived: "Yet I know that in / two weeks, a month I / will have in my nostrils / not the savor of rendering goosefat, / not the burnt sugar of caramel topping / the Saint-Honore cake, not the pumpernickel / bearing up the sweet butter, the sturgeon / but again the scorched wire, / burnt rubber smell / of willpower, living / with the brakes on." The contrasting sensory descriptions of indulgent foods versus the harsh, industrial smells of willpower underscore the inevitable return to self-restraint and dieting.

The speaker's yearning to escape these constraints is vividly expressed through her desire to embody the voluptuous beauty celebrated by artists like Rubens and Poussin: "I want to pass into the boudoirs / of Rubens' women. I want to dance / graceful in my tonnage like Poussin nymphs." The imagery of "melon bellies," "vast ripening thighs," and "featherbeds of forearms" paints a picture of a fuller, more abundant form of beauty, one that is both comforting and indulgent.

Piercy's use of humor and exaggeration highlights the speaker's longing to embrace this alternative standard of beauty: "how I would bend myself / to that standard of beauty, how faithfully / would consume waffles and sausage for breakfast / with croissants on the side, how dutifully / I would eat for supper the blackbean soup / with madeira, followed by the fish course / the meat course, and the Bavarian cream." The detailed and luscious descriptions of meals underscore the pleasure and satisfaction that comes with such indulgence.

The poem's final lines encapsulate the speaker's willingness to "suffer an occasional eclair / for the sake of appearance," blending humor with a deeper critique of societal beauty standards. This acknowledgment of "suffering" for beauty, even in the context of indulgence, reflects the persistent pressure to conform to certain ideals, no matter how arbitrary or harmful they may be.

"Beauty I Would Suffer For" is a powerful commentary on the pressures of conforming to societal standards of beauty and the personal conflicts that arise from these expectations. Through rich sensory imagery and a blend of humor and earnestness, Marge Piercy captures the complexity of desiring both indulgence and acceptance, highlighting the often contradictory nature of our relationships with food, body image, and societal norms. The poem invites readers to reflect on their own experiences with these pressures and the ways in which they navigate the balance between self-indulgence and self-restraint.

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