Critical Analysis of Makeup on Empty Space by Anne Waldman
Waldman’s poem seems to be one about her transition from living a mediocre life where she feels compelled to follow society’s norms set for women into accepting and loving herself naturally. Throughout the poem she wants the reader to realize she is not accepting of what she is doing. She seems almost invisible, and disassociated.
She’s mad to live up to societal norms and she wears a mask to pretend that she is in acceptance. When in actuality she is in opposition. There is a façade. The empty space symbolizes discontent with what’s occurring. She almost depicts herself as an unwilling participant, very mannequin like. The speaker is simply existing but unalive and unenthusiastic.
She’s mad to live up to societal norms and she wears a mask to pretend that she is in acceptance. When in actuality she is in opposition. There is a façade. The empty space symbolizes discontent with what’s occurring. She almost depicts herself as an unwilling participant, very mannequin like. The speaker is simply existing but unalive and unenthusiastic.
“Rouge blushing on empty space”
Here her cheeks are described as basically invisible.
“I am sticking wire pins into empty space”
“Gold clips, lacquer combs, plastic hairpins on empty space.”
This seems to be her putting bobby pins into her hair. But it’s almost like she’s being forced to do so. Like it’s simply routine for her but she doesn’t look forward to it anymore. She sounds compelled. As a woman there is this pressure to be beautiful and follow trends hence the makeup, clothes and hairstyling. However, through the speaker’s wording it sounds as if she’s tired of following society’s perceptions of beauty and would rather be natural.
Her usage of the word pasting, painting and piling places emphasis on the fact that these things are simply add-ons, artificial and unoriginal. Foundation is false skin etc.
“Pasting eyelashes on empty space,
painting the eyebrows of empty space,
piling creams on empty space.”
She’s “prettying up” her issues and pain hidden beneath her pretty exterior. Her outward appearance is a distraction from reality. It’s like her life was already made out for her and she is merely a participant.
“I am putting makeup on empty space.”
Empty space may symbolize depression. She wants you to know that there’s still this emptiness that lingers. Despite the fancy clothing and makeup material things aren’t the solution to that inadequate feeling.
“You put it all on, you paint your nails, you put on scarves, all the time adorning empty space.”
“bangles on wrists,
spinning necklaces around empty space.”
“Someone was always intruding to make you forget empty space.”
The intruder maybe society’s influence i.e. media, magazines etc.
“I am hanging ornaments on empty space”
“Let’s talk of dressing the body with strange adornments.”
This line causes me to envision a Christmas tree. Yes, the tree is beautiful and admired, sought after. However, the tree’s reality is very different from how we perceive it. It is almost as if the tree is exploited for our amusement. The tree has no say in its participation in these festivities.
It can no longer thrive for it has been taken without consent from nature, its home. The decorations cannot take away from the fact that the tree is dying. The tree is only useful during a select time. After Christmas it will be tossed out on the curb until next Christmas when it is replaced. Like the tree women are objectified and exploited just for the sake of what’s considered normal.
This is super insightful. I’ve never came across the poet’s work before, so it was a good refreshing read.
ReplyDeleteYou stated that the “empty space” may symbolise the speaker’s depression, but subjectively it could mirror a possible internalised misogyny, leading to a hatred of herself.
“Empty space” may symbolise the sexist perception of intellectual hollowness of women or a hollowness of their value in society. I agree that the word use of “pasting” etc, reflects her adding superficiality to the “empty space”, but perhaps this is her adding value to herself, knowing that physical beauty is the value that the patriarchal society will recognise, not her intelligence (or personality). And she hates that, but her only cope is to conform.
When the new female “deity” comes, it is implied that new women were emerging (women entering male-dominated industries in the 80s). Suddenly women ARE intellectually and not just mothers/caregivers. The speaker forces the deity to conform with her too, “bind[ing] her with a briar”. This could be a biblical allusion to Christ also being blinded with briars who died for the freedom of the world. This allusion, reminiscent of Christ’s crown of thorns, suggests a sacrificial demand placed on this newfound freedom. The implication is that for the speaker to maintain her comfort in seeing women as non-intellectual and lesser, this new intellectual identity must be suppressed.
Notably, the speaker’s introduces the feminine deity as: “there is talk of a feminine deity”, perhaps mocking the ‘new woman’, as she describes the women as “feminine” which ironic to their pursuit of perceived masculine jobs. The speaker also goes onto to say she wanted to “scare” the deity, further implying deep-seated jealousy and scorn for the liberated women. This lack of control (contrasting with the “deity’s” strong control, amplifies the speaker’s insignificance.) with not just speaker’s authenticity of herself, but other women who are becoming more automous, leads to an increased hatred of herself. It is implied that this hatred is continous, as Waldman ends the poem in a cyclical way, “singing & moaning in empty space”.