"Barbie Doll" Re-Write

If one were to pen a poem for men similar to “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy, one could not use the standards of superficial beauty to measure the male experience. Therefore, you would have to pick a different paradigm to measure against; a Greek hero would be a more fitting archetype, one embodying heroism, strength, and standing, all of the things men should ideally represent. This poem would be called “Here Stands Hercules.”

For this to be true to form, the diction of the great Greek poets would have to be used. A scheme similar to Homer’s “Odyssey” and “Iliad” would be more than appropriate as he is a character in the later. Formal diction would, of course, be used to convey the heroic yet ironic tone, contrasting how while a man might wish to be all of the ideals set forth by Hercules, the reality of strength is different than in tales.

The character of Hercules would be a perfect example of what men are expected to be, but should never strive to be. We all know of his parentage, a product of the union of the king of the Olympian gods, Zeus, and his human mother Alcmene. This would be one image to present an unobtainable male ideal; strength and power of a god balanced with the frailty and imperfection of humanity. Next would come the twelve labors and how they relate to the tasks set before men. Many times they take on these labors knowing that they are impossible and that there may be dire consequences should they fail. Then finally the madness of Hercules, where after defeating a great opponent and being a shining example of men, his reward is madness and to destroy the thing he loves most, his family. In true heroic fashion, instead of being exiled by his people, our hero goes into self exile because of his inability to forgive himself and to live up to his own principles, a theme many men can relate to.