The Kudzu Review

“As Pepita Says” is a short poem from Issue 72 of the
Kudzu Review, written by Edlyn Wernicoff and published in April 2024. This poem is about the physical and psychological experiences of a young woman battling problems with body image and disordered eating, but told from a third-person perspective of an unknown person who is pressuring the young woman to conform to an unhealthy standard of beauty. Visual imagery is used effectively to compare the young woman’s body to dainty and delicate things such as birds, willows, and dolls to provide out-dated and harmful
examples of what women were expected to look like, even though it was detrimental to their mental and physical well-being. This is further enhanced by the visual comparison between banyan prop roots and the pine bark to the woman’s hips and collarbone, which conveys the appearance of emaciation and re-enhances an unhealthy expectation of women. Furthermore, the use of commands and questions such as “not one bite…just distract yourself…don’t you want to be beautiful?” are examples of how women are treated should they be viewed as non-conforming of societal
beauty expectations.

What was also interesting in this poem was the allusion to two famous fictional women in literature – Odile from “Swan Lake,” and Dulcinea from ”Don Quixote,” who both embody the standards of the beauty that the unspoken narrator wishes for the young woman. Additionally, both of these characters are very representative of how society viewed and treated women-as subservient to man and only placing value solely on what they looked like instead of seeing what else they could offer as people. This connects back to the fourth and sixth stanzas, where the narrator is telling the young woman what she needs to do “to woo the silver knight,” making no mention of any other personality traits or skills of the young woman and reducing her value as a human being to whether or not she is able to make a man fall in love
with her.

The tone of the poem changes from more critical in the first three stanzas to much more gentle in the final two stanzas, but still maintaining the same underlying, harmful message as the first two stanzas. However, it is the last line of the poem – “to enter out of the wings” (Wernicoff) that is very different compared to the rest of the poem. This line can be interpreted in several ways, with one of them being a possible reference to the modeling industry because Victoria’s Secret Angels, once considered the epitome of
beauty and finding success as a model, have worn and continue to wear wings as a signature centerpiece in every one of their shows. This line could also be a reference to a woman finding the confidence to take the center stage in her own life and making herself noticed, something that can be very difficult to do, especially when faced with the difficult circumstances that the young woman in the poem was faced with.

Throughout the progression of the poem, the author very thoughtfully and respectfully wrote about a topic that can be incredibly triggering, especially for younger readers and those who have struggled with body image and/or an eating disorder. However, by utilizing a careful and responsible use of language, the author is able to communicate their message in a way that not only educates people, but also offers hope to those who are suffering, making it a beautifully crafted poem and one that is worth reading.

Fiona Froggett is a junior at Florida State University studying Media Communication Studies and English (Editing, Writing, and Media), and is a member of the Layout Team for the Kudzu Review. She is also involved with the Marching Chiefs, The Nineteen Ten Women’s Honorary, and the College of Communication and Information Student Leadership Council. After graduation, she plans to pursue a graduate degree and work towards a career working in government or non-profit communications.