“Empress Dowager Boogies”
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/57415 This poem by Tina Chang explores the rich history of Chinese culture. An Empress Dowager is the title given to any mother of an emperor. “Empress Dowager Boogies” explores this part of history in a riveting way. It seems as if the women of the poem is going through a change within herself that is expressed throughout the work. At the beginning it sounds as if she is getting ready for a type of ceremony, or perhaps even a ritual of some sort. As it continues she express that she wants to “lose myself” and “let my majesty and birthright go,” making it sound as if she wants to no longer be apart of her culture. Overall, it's obvious that the narrator is going through a transition through the poem. This becomes more apparent as she describes the mask she has to wear. She explains it as a “false glamor,” which shows she does not agree with what she has to wear, because it does not show her true self. It could even be that the the narrator does not agree with the ceremony that is about to take place. In conclusion, this poem leaves room for interpretation of the reader. There are not too many definite answers, making it difficult to distinguish what exactly this poem is about.
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March 2017
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