Although “Medusa Gets a Haircut” draws heavily from classical myth, several motifs as well as the colloquial language cue it firmly in the present day. Its primary setting is the constraints of an unbalanced relationship, in which one person is more invested than the other. Like many women in such circumstances, Medusa changes her appearance in order to fit what she thinks her partner is looking for and will accept. The poem communicates an important message about preserving one’s identity within the disposability and restlessness of contemporary romance.