Body image is a popular contemporary topic in poetry. It considers how individuals judge their own bodies and the bodies of others.
Poems about body image are often contemplative and sometimes hard to read as writers, and the personas they channel, dig into their emotions and depict startling judgemental and painful thoughts about their worth in relation to how they look.
Other poets take a different approach, choosing to use a poem about their body image, or someone else’s, to uplift their individual understanding of what they’re worth. Many contemporary poems celebrate the differences to be found in human bodies and remind readers of their own worth.
‘Anorexic’ by Eavan Boland presents a woman determined to destroy her physical body through starvation while alluding to the original sin.
Anorexia nervosa is also known as body image disturbance. In this mental condition, one individual totally loses appetite or starves oneself for the sake of staying fit and in good shape. In modern times, one’s distorted body image perception may lead to several serious bodily malfunctions. This is what Boland explores thoroughly in ‘Anorexic.’
‘The Munich Mannequins’ by Sylvia Plath examines the dehumanizing effects of unattainable beauty standards through the imagery of lifeless mannequins in Munich, exploring themes of alienation and objectification.
The poem delves deeply into the theme of body image, contrasting the unnatural, perfected forms of mannequins with the natural imperfections of the human body. Plath criticizes the unrealistic beauty standards imposed by society, which often lead to negative self-perception and body image issues.
‘Ellen West’ by Frank Bidart is a long poem capturing the life-defining moments of Ellen West, a woman who was the signature case for existential analysis in the 19th century. The poem is narrated majorly by West herself, with her doctor Ludwig Binswanger intermittently rendering a clinical analysis of her behaviour.
This poem focuses on the poet's persona, Ellen West, and her distorted view of her body image. It is this view that nurtures her desire to be thin and, later on, not to have a body. Throughout the poem, West's thoughts, especially about people she admired, involved some description of their physique. She also regularly shames her own.
I love sweets,—
heaven
would be dying on a bed of vanilla ice cream . . .
‘Pretty Ugly’ by Abdullah Shoaib cleverly explores the ups and downs of self-worth, body image, and confidence. The poem is meant to inspire readers to love themselves for who they are.
The poem focuses on how people see themselves and how their thoughts about their appearance can affect their confidence. The speaker struggles with feeling ugly and unworthy, which is something many people experience. But the poem also shows that beauty is not just about appearance. It teaches that how someone feels about themselves matters more than how others judge them.
‘Women and Roses’ by Robert Browning conveys a man’s perspective on women throughout time. They are represented by three apples on his metaphorical apple tree.
The poem discusses the physical appearance of women and their beauty. The speaker admires the beauty of women through different times, highlighting society's focus on looks. This focus on body image shows how external appearance is valued and impacts women's lives. The poem reflects on how beauty is both admired and fleeting.
‘Mirror’ by Sylvia Plath is told from a mirror’s perspective, giving an account of a woman’s experiences of looking into the mirror.
The topic of body image is at the center of the poem. The woman repeatedly looks into the mirror, searching for her younger self but instead sees signs of age. Her reflection becomes a painful reminder of the changes in her appearance over time. The poem does not mention beauty directly but shows how deeply tied her feelings are to how she looks. Since the poem is well-known and studied often, this topic earns the highest score.
‘Next Day’ by Randall Jarrell is a confessional poem with a conversational tone that articulates the complex emotions of aging and change.
In 'Next Day,' the speaker's fixation on her physical appearance and aging face carries great meaning. While the speaker craves to be young, beautiful, and hopeful again, even at the cost of being miserable and poor, she has already gotten everything she has wanted from her life. Stuck in a feeling of meaningless ness and hopelessness, she fixates on the prospect of her death, seeing it in the wrinkles on her face.
‘For Heidi With Blue Hair’ is a six-stanza poem that uses action and dialogue to paint a literary picture where little to no physical setting is provided.
The poem subtly addresses body image through Heidi's unconventional hairstyle choice. Her decision to dye her hair blue challenges traditional beauty standards and societal expectations. The poem suggests that self-expression through appearance can influence perceptions of identity and confidence. It hints at the complexities of body image by emphasizing personal agency and the impact of external judgments on self-perception.
In ‘Teddy Bear,’ the titular stuffed bear frets about his chubby body. A chance encounter with a plump passerby helps Teddy realize that fat men can still be held in high esteem, giving him newfound confidence about his appearance.
This poem is a funny fable about body image that resonates today. Teddy is initially unhappy with his tubbiness but learns to love his body after a chance encounter with a plump stranger.
‘Phenomenal Woman’ by Maya Angelou defies the stereotypes women are often faced with today. It is a poem filled with strength and determination.
The poem addresses body image by showing that beauty is not limited to one body type. The speaker openly says she does not look like a fashion model yet still carries an undeniable appeal. This challenges the narrow definitions of beauty often promoted in media and culture. It reminds readers that body image should be about self-acceptance and pride in one’s natural form rather than trying to fit unrealistic or harmful standards.
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
‘Love in Bloom’ features a man admiring his beloved, characterising him as divine. However, undertones of secrecy lead to frustration.
Nuwas celebrates and idealizes the body image of his beloved in the poem 'Love in Bloom' in a very physical and sensual way. The explicitness and directness of his celebration center the beloved's physical beauty in the poem. In fact, the poem can be divided into his descriptions of his beloved's body in vivid imagery, and his expression of the effect of such physical beauty on him. His portrayal of the body is also affirming and positive.
‘The Pornographer’ appears in Robert Hass’s Yale Series of Younger Poets Award-winning collection Field Guide (1973). This poem is all about an artist who finds it difficult to get rid of his thoughts.
The theme of body image is present as the pornographer is haunted by the graphic details of the human body that are part of his work. These images are constantly on his mind, and they make him uncomfortable, as he cannot escape the vivid, often overwhelming visions. The poem shows how being consumed by such thoughts can affect a person’s peace of mind and overall well-being.
‘Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face’ is a childish tale that provides an example of why being grateful for the current state of things can be a grand thing.
The work is a celebration of numerous bodily parts and the duties they allow us to do. It adds amusement by exaggerating the idea that having body parts in different locations might lead to hilarious scenarios. This conveys the notion that one should be appreciative for the natural arrangement of bodily components.
Donne’s ‘The Autumnal’ is a fresh take on beauty, celebrating age over youthful charm. It is a bold statement challenging traditional views.
In ‘Elegy IX: The Autumnal,’ John Donne talks about how people think young people are more beautiful. But Donne says that older people are also beautiful, and they have special qualities like wisdom and kindness. He compares older women to autumn, which is a beautiful season. This shows that beauty is not just about body image but also about being wise and having a lot of life experience.
‘Quinceañera’ appears in Judith Ortiz Cofer’s Silent Dancing: A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood (1991). This coming-of-age poem is about a speaker’s physical and mental changes.
The poem talks about the girl's struggle with her changing body. As she becomes a woman, she feels awkward and uncomfortable with the new physical changes she’s experiencing. The way society looks at her body also affects how she sees herself, and this creates a tension between how she feels inside and how she’s expected to look on the outside.
My dolls have been put away like dead children in a chest I will carry with me when I marry. I reach under my skirt to feel
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