Not her fault. I wish she'd also said 'I don't want my son to marry a girl who's pretty', but very few people say this, even the most staunch advocates of not judging women by their appearances. Change). This poem closely relates to Katie Makkais slam poem titled Pretty. Katie Makkais Pretty is a powerful poem about how society perceives women as pretty. Makkai talks about how when she was younger, she would ask her mother when she would be pretty. Seeing her presenting this poem made me think of this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs) called "#LikeAGirl". Taught from infancy that beauty is womans sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks Some people live their entire lives literally NEVER being happy. Even boys/men have become obsessed with this idea. I didnt realize it then, but wanting to be unconventionally pretty was in itself playing in my head the soundtrack of not good enough so many little girls are taught to replay over and over again in our heads from the time of adolescence. And ESPECIALLY when ideal beauty is practically unobtainable for so many women, as it is in American society. WebKatie Makkai - Pretty crzylbrlchick 1.48K subscribers 3.7M views 15 years ago Katie Makkai, a veteran poetry slammer - defining the word "pretty". She uses imagery and diction to explain what the word pretty means to our society and how a simple word can have such a The use of these devices consequently evokes sensorial, emotional and intellectual reactions from the readers, giving the text a deeper meaning. In this piece she focuses on beauty, aesthetics and perception of oneself and the persseptions of others on women in todays society. Chick Lit is basically written for women by women and what really separates the genre from typical womens fiction is that there is the humorous element throughout the storyline. Not only is that losing a part of yourself but you can never see the old you again, you are stuck with that new "pretty" face that you have, but in reality, it isn't real. She explains how when she was younger she always wondered will she be pretty when she got older. And making themselves up for the rest of the world, rather than themselves. Has it changed since entering a new environment? about losing yourself trying to become "pretty", and forgetting to find happiness while searching for beauty. It made the poem rhyme. What most people dont understand is that replacing fulfillment and joy with make-up and cute clothes makes them feel so empty inside. Your email address will not be published. For example, look at Katie Makkai, she went though a painful, 10,000 dollar surgery just to look "pretty". WebThey are very particular about their looks and their body. It is difficult, but not impossible to recover from BDD and I have had first-hand experience helping my cousin deal with it. ", [] http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/04/19/katie-makkai-on-pretty/ Like this:LikeBe the first to like this post. WebNews. Had my parents not heeded the dentist's advice, I would have had serious jaw problems by 12, and at 18 when it came time to get my wisdom teeth out, well, it wouldn't have been a swift and mostly painless procedure, I'll tell you that. WebIt was clear that the issue the poem addresses in the first four lines is the cultural standards of beauty that society tried to fit women in. This poem brings out the reality of our society today, that being pretty rules out everything. Katies poem was effective because her poem was also structurally well written. I always take a step back and ask why, because the true beauty underneath is not good enough to make them famous or attractive? Now we all know I LOVE to cause an online riot and my eyes literally light up at the word debate! Pretty. We have to learn to value other qualities more highly. Some poems actually contain dialogue between two or more characters, thus making them even more dramatic in the literal sense of the word. Makkais point, the broad difference between prettiness and beauty, is powerful. Will I be pretty? In reality, if I may put it as bluntly as possible, our current society consists of some of the BIGGEST hypocrites I have ever seen. Joan Wilson, who lost her daughter in the IRAs Remembrance Day massacre, loved and protected her family, mourners were told at her funeral on Sunday. This movement started by Marc Smith a poet and construction worker in 1986.Slam made performing poetry better, more fun and exciting. The word hangs from our mothers hearts in a shrill fluorescent floodlight of worry. This, this is about my own some-day daughter. It makes a huge difference. I hope she is getting professional help if she continues to struggle. WebAnalysis: The poem " Pretty" by Katie Makkai puts a whole new definition on the word . We have been living and influenced in an oblivious world. What did these poetic devices do for the poem? You can almost feel yourself in that home when all of this took place. But when my friend explained, she said that her parents did it intentionally, and preferred to pay her compliments like "you've so smart" or "you're so talented" instead, and did say that she was pretty if she asked. WebKatie Makkai - Pretty. Intelligence and creativity are more impressive qualities to have instead of being societies standard of beautiful. The strongest quote in Makkais poem is. What did these poetic devices do for the poem? Furthermore, girls should not go through 10,000 dollars worth of surgery to turn themselves into someone who was not suppose to be apart of this universe. Pretty by Katie Makkai is a poem written in first person, targeted mainly at female adults, that leaves a meaningful message with great impact. Although the audience was listening to her words, they could also feel her words in a way too. Throughout the whole reading of the poem, I felt the power and emotion Makkai conveyed in her words about her own experiences in adolescence regarding the definition of "pretty" installed into her head by her mother, the media, and environment around her. Slam poetry can feel too theatrical for me at times, but this one is much more tempered because of the message. "I have not seen my own face in ten years, but this is not about me." I think it's heartbreaking that so many girls (and women and even boys and men) in our society are plagued with a sense that they are not "____ enough" --fill in the blank. The idea that a smart, successful man might be attracted to a girl because she is smart (or nice or creative or funny) is out of the question. About women who will prowl 30 stores in 6 malls to find the right cocktail dress, but havent a clue where to find fulfillment or how wear joy, wandering through life shackled to a shopping bag, beneath those 2 pretty syllables. WebShe uses lines of free verse to make an argument against standard notions of what it means to tell a girl to be pretty. Pretty? and Mom, will I be pretty? "'Youll have porcelain skin as soon as we can see a dermatologist.' WebIt was clear that the issue the poem addresses in the first four lines is the cultural standards of beauty that society tried to fit women in. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. You sucked your thumb. She explains how when she was younger she always wondered will she be Unfortunately, Maya Angelous died on May 28, 2014, but she left this world with beautiful poems that would influence women and men for years to come. Makkai also describes how she would cry to her mother about when will I be pretty and her mother would tell her that they would fix her up. In the poem Maude Clare Rossetti has used the theme of empowered women and relationships. 'You were hit in the face with a Frisbee when you were six, otherwise your nose would have been fine!'" Not only did she say this but she says that you should never feel bad because you are not good looking, you are you and you have more potential than just pretty. They way she presented her poem shows how much she has been through and how much she cares about the topic of being "pretty". Works Cited "OtherThanThat." I thought, in that moment, that was what I wanted to be unconventionally pretty. That has to be the ultimate failure. To think that you could have looked totally different in the long run is scary. This horrific incident caused Angelou to write the outstanding poem, Phenomenal Woman. When one reads this poem they can see the struggle in her words, but also the power. First off, something is really bugging me: orthodontia is NOT a freaking cosmetic choice, like clearing up acne scars or getting a nose job to fix a crooked/"too big" nose. WebAnd the pretty question infects from conception, passing blood and breath into cells. And the pretty question infects from conception, passing blood and breath into cells. People focus too much of their attention on superficial things like clothes or their looks, however, in life things like these won't matter in the long run. Will I be pretty? I see how some kids are left out and others are way more popular. Some people try so hard to cover up their insecurities with pretty things, when really they are so much better without it. But "pretty"? In the first stanza of the poem it says, ..a blue confession in smudged, erasable ink: I cant stop hoping Ill wake up, suddenly beautiful. Things written in ink are not typically erasable. Many people might worry about weight gain or loss, or perfect teeth, or a clean face, but those things might help you a little on the outside, but a long term relationship depends on what is on the inside. Well get it fixed! She would say, grasping my face, twisting it this way and that, as if it were a cabbage she might buy. The pressure to look acceptable can be very overwhelming; how have you noticed this pressure or lack there of? And the pretty question infects from conception, passing blood and breath into cells. Something that society has taught us to be, no one seems to care about education or their health when they are trying to be pretty.Society now-a-days is truly sick, they shame you for being too "fat", or too "skinny". Maya Angelou is defying peoples perceptions of how women should act in this ground breaking poem. Body language was also a huge contributor to the effectiveness of this slam. be praised. This quotation is important because in this time women were seen as domesticated and they only had one use; reproduction. How do we begin to look ourselves in the mirror again and say Im pretty? This idea of being pretty has been in girls minds for so long we don't even remember when it all started. Pretty.. Yes, different cultures prefer different tones of skin and hair, different eye shape, etc. Even though everyone has their own idea of what pretty is. I hope you do! Katie starts the poem off with the quote, "When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother what will I be pretty?" This is emphasized by her shift of points of view, from a narrator to that of her mother and then back to the narrator. Like my mother, unwrapping the gift wrap to reveal the bouquet of daughter her $10,000 bought her? Watch on Pretty by Katie Makkai When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother, What will I be? SUN: 01:00 pm 06:00 pm, Up Down Up Down Come Here Gimme High Five Lyrics Tik Tok, Wendys Grilled Chicken Wrap No Sauce Calories, Accident Voiture Signification Spirituelle, Is Stefanie Salvatore In Legacies Season 3, BreakAway Speed Softball 18U 2020 Fall Schedule. We have all worn make up at least once in our lifetime, but for what? Everyone has a different understanding of this word, so I guess we'll never know for sure. I think it's up to your generation to make the real change for the good of yourselves and especially, for the good of the children you will have and raise--hopefully in a kinder, gentler world. Angelou began writing in 1950 for the Harlem Writers Guild and published her first book I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings in 1970. WebVeteran poetry slammer Katie Makkai gave a powerful spoken word performance on defining the word "pretty." If we want to reject the tyranny of "pretty," we can't do it by just assigning the word to everyone so that it no longer has meaning. The video was very strange, because what you would typically find in a video with a title like this, would be tips on how to make yourself "pretty." Not only is it subjective, but it isn't all about physical appearance. The intense pressure to fit in and to look a certain way in our society has made many young girls feel pretty miserable. Movements Create your own unique website with customizable templates. It was not to make sure one is happy with themselves, but that other people are happy with them first. In the last stanza, Santos admits to the desire to not only feel beautiful, but to have others notice it as well. They have to have clean skin, straight teeth, and a perfect face and body. I can yell loud too. But the more you get used to saying the words to others, you may just decide its time to say them to yourself.. Laying in a hospital bed, face packed with gauze, cushioning the brand new nose the surgeon had carved. I interpret this to mean that as much as we women would like to erase the thoughts from our heads, it is something that stays with us not only in childhood, but through adulthood as well. People these days have become so insecure that if they were sweatpants and everyone else is wearing leg gins they feel as though their an outsider because of it. Poetry captures the essences of human emotion and experience and imbues them with further significance by the literary techniques that typify poetry as the language of art. Required fields are marked *. It is intimidating to walk into a room full of males and be looked at differently simply because you are a woman. Katie Makkai perfoming "Pretty" Roy Wood Sep 28, 2012 5:30 AM Slam Poetry -- Because You're Addicted to Ideas Admit it, GeekDads: you find ideas irresistible. Instead of saying Im pretty, we say Im pretty, but. I am horrible at public speaking. Colored with (Turmeric and Annatto Extracts, Beta Carotene)Turmeric, Annatto A powerful line is, Men themselves have wondered What they see in me. As I was reading your comment, I was wondering if the same stereotypes about "boys" and "girls" are held in all cultures. (LogOut/ Katies language revealed that to get her point across, the audience needed to feel her content, thus she had to provoke the audience first. I believe she realized that, for generations, the women of her family were getting married at 16, 17, 18. Thats why your teeth look like that! ' By writing in sonnet form, Shakespeare was also able to use regular external rhyme. Katie Makkai performed a poem called "Pretty" that contained a powerful message. Poetry Foundation. When girls get ready to go out, often times they compare themselves to the way other girls that they are associated with are dressed as well as the likelihood that they will attract guys in the course of the night. This shows how girls think that everything about them has to be perfect in order to be pretty. It's impossible. Imagery was a major contributor to the effectiveness of this piece. We are always going on about finding ourselves but probably the problem is that we keep on running away and hiding from who we really are. Even boys are affected- Ive seen one of my friends obsess over looking preppy in order to get into a particular frat. Yes, there are cultures that admire fatness. She asked herself why she allowed them to carve into her face to remodel her nose, so that they are "fixed." Another issue I would like to address, that my classmates have not mentioned, is the increasing level of vanity in today's society. Well 10,000 dollars for a plastic surgeon to "fix" her nose, as if her nose before wasn't good enough for her mom. After listening to this poem, Katie Makkai, really changed my perspective of the meaning of pretty. Shouldn't we honor and admire people as they age? However, the truly motivated and clever can make a solid and unique style statement without completely giving up on what's popular. His parents, not taking it seriously ("who cares if his teeth are crooked? BreakAway Athletes Earn City-Wide Honors! Copyright 2023 Anti Essays. Then, there were a group of all younger girls, around ages 6-10, and they took it more seriously and ran how they would, not exaggerating or faking. It is obvious to the reader that Maude Clare is important to the poem as her name is the title. Many girls these days seem to think that pretty is the only thing that matters when brought up about themselves. Web. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Born in St. Louis in 1928 she grew up to experience the unfair treatment of African Americans and the sexism towards women. (LogOut/ I dont think anyone would argue that vanity is self-destructive; we are our own worst critics. WebThey are very particular about their looks and their body. Maya Angelou was faced with sexual abuse and teen pregnancy, yet she over came these hard obstacles by writing. Well, there's hope if all the girls of your generation decide to raise your daughters with a different mindset. In our society, all girls think about is how to look "pretty", but what really is "pretty". Recitation is the most exciting thing about poetry. The poem reflects poverty and its effects on the African American people. Did these devices help create imagery or communicate the author's feelings? This made me think of BDD or Body Dysmorphic Disorder, which many people suffer from today, including my cousin. Taught from infancy that beauty is womans sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison. She goes against many of the things children are taught like money cant buy you happiness. They would not think of disguising their age. Makkai incorporated the lyrics from the song into her poem where the context of both relate; Will I be pretty? But, Katie can't change the fact that she had work done, at this point, so instead she will tell her daughter that she is not "pretty" but rather so much more, because this five letter word "PRETTY" is too restraining for anyone to live by. The use of the image vegetable love is very effective in capturing the readers interest. Kudos to the father of slam and his poem that helps students to discuss. (LogOut/ Pretty Poem. Poemhunter.com. There are magazines, filled with attractive young models slim and wearing pounds of makeup, just to be appealing to the eye. Even more dramatic in the poem reflects poverty and its effects on the word reflects... Brought up about themselves readers interest them first example, look at Katie Makkai when was... 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About physical appearance all girls think about is how to look `` pretty '' by Katie Makkai gave powerful. `` 'Youll have porcelain skin as soon as we can see the struggle in her words in a hospital,... They have to learn to value other qualities more highly sonnet form, Shakespeare also. Lines of free verse to make an argument against standard notions of what it means to tell a girl be.: //www.youtube.com/watch? v=XjJQBjWYDTs ) called `` # LikeAGirl '' and the pretty question infects conception. Of saying Im pretty, but also the power by writing women should act in piece... Of males and be looked at differently simply because you are commenting using your Facebook account young slim! Americans and the persseptions of others on women in todays society laying in hospital! Solid and unique style statement without completely giving up on what 's popular moment, that was I. Is it subjective, but this one is much more tempered because of the meaning of.... Children are taught like money cant buy you happiness poet and construction worker in made! Harlem Writers Guild and published her first book I know Why the Caged Bird Sings in 1970 pressure or there... Surgeon had carved the context of both relate ; will I be do for Harlem!, not taking it seriously ( `` who cares if his teeth are crooked slam titled...

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