Literary devices aid the reader in the explication and understanding of a poem. They also convey the theme of a poem, and the authors feeling for a given subject. This is proven in the poems "Barbie Doll," and "Mirror," which are authored by Marge Piercy, and Silvia Plath. The theme in "Barbie Doll" is societies flawed idea of female perfection; in contrast, the theme in "Mirror" is women's flawed view of themselves. The literary terms associated with "Barbie Doll" and "Mirror" are use of didactic poetry, symbolism, and satirical poetry. Although the themes differ, both are portrayed through the use of aforementioned literary terms, proving that society negatively influences a woman's view of herself.
             Both poems: Marge Piercy's "Barbie Doll," and Sylvia Plath's "Mirror" are forms of didactic poetry. They were each designed to teach a moral and ethical lesson; society forces women to conform to false standards of perfection. Upon reading "Barbie Doll," this issue is discerned best in the girls unreasonable resolution to cut off her "big nose, and fat legs," in an effort to consummate perfection. In "Mirror," this is best exemplified in the final lines of the poem; "in me an old woman rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish." The tone proves the negativity associated with a woman's aging, and how this contributes to her feeling of ugliness.
             Symbolism is used to convey the false views society has toward women in both poems. In "Barbie Doll," and "Mirror" symbols help the reader understand the theme. Symbolism is shown in "Barbie Doll" with the girl cutting off her nose and legs. This should be likened to the lengths at which people actually go to falsely improve themselves, such as liposuction, eating disorders and excessive dieting. "Mirror" symbolizes the lake as the drowning of her youth and beauty, the mirror symbolizes her actual appearance; while the moon and candlelight are symbols of societies skewing...