China Doll
By Ada Gu
Nothing but a china doll
Sitting docile 'gainst the wall
Painted red lips, a velvet bow
A foolish smile, face aglow
Eyes glazed, as if under a spell
Lifeless, never fearing death’s knell
Hollow inside, no soul, no mind
A porcelain veneer never to be lined
Nothing but a toy, to be used at will
To be forgotten, alone on the windowsill
Easily replaced, collecting dust
Blown over by the lightest gust
Never to win, to lose, to draw
To experience the pain of hunger’s gnaw
Trapped in a predetermined fate
Check the expiration: a nearing date
Nothing but a china doll
Sitting docile 'gainst the wall
This is a rhyming descriptive poem, or also a rhyming blank verse (I'm not too sure). It ties in with my theme as rather than literally interpreting the doll as a simply a toy, I meant to portray it as a real person. The person is considered less as an individual, but rather as a pretty play-thing, to be dressed up and used, their opinions and voices ignored. They are trapped in the stereotype of a typically "good" child, who has been numbed by their culture's demands and embodies the phrase "children should be seen and not heard." It also speaks about girls in beauty pageants, who have been forced by their parents, and who become objects on display. They are painted with red lips and blush and smile and wave despite any inner turmoil. This poem basically speaks for anyone who must stay still, obedient and silent, who cannot choose or have the freedom to roam and live. It is about people who are trapped into souless, lifeless machines, who think that only beauty is of value.
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I like this poem because it portrays a China doll in a different perspective, while at the same time signifying children of today. Usually dolls are described as being pretty, happy toys. But this poem leaves an impact, especially by repeating the first/second, and last two lines. I thought this poem especially described the girls put into beauty pageants. You really got it dead on!
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