263. A Work of Artifice (page 321)

The bonsai tree
in the attractive pot
could have grown eighty feet tall
on the side of a mountain
till split by lightening.
But a gardener
carefully pruned it.
It is nine inches high.
Every day as he
whittles back the branches
the gardener croons,
It is your nature
to be so small and cozy,
domestic and weak;
how lucky, little tree,
to have a pot to grow in.
With living creatures
one must begin very early
to dwarf their growth:
the bound feet,
the crippled brain,
the hair in curlers,
the hands you
love to touch.

Marge Piercy (b. 1934)

This poem, A Work of Artifice, is abstractly promoting feminism. The poem begins with a description of a domesticated bonsai tree, but then the focus shifts to human rituals. The poem describes how people can suffocate potential and growth of each other and creatures. The female is metaphorically compared to a bonsai tree. Their potential and growth are stifled by males (gardeners) who tell them that they should be happy with their domestication, weakness, and lovely things (like pots and coziness). Females are told that they are lucky, they are meant to be weak and small, and they are told this from the very beginning. The meanings and experience of this poem are shown and described through title, shift, irony, and diction.

First, the title is a key element. An artifice is a clever trick, an act of cunning, or ingenuity. The title is saying that a work of trickery is taking place, and this is true. The gardener is crooning to the tree that it is meant to be small and weak, and he ignores the fact that it could be huge and wild. The same is true for the male telling the female that she should be pleased with life the way it is; the way she is made to dress, the jobs she should do, how she is treated, is all how it is supposed to be and she should be happy with it . But the title says that these words are all trickery. Women and trees are not meant to be so restrained, and the caged lives they are forced into are through a state of mind and cunning that is inflicted and enforced by the gardener, the males. The title emphasizes the subject of the poem, though its words seem a little separate.

Next, the shift in the poem takes place in line 18. Before this line, there is a description of a bonsai tree, but line 18 starts off “with living creatures” and then goes on to describe human actions. This shift shows a change in idea and creates a metaphor between female humans and bonsai trees. The shift directs the reader’s attention to the meaning of the poem. With the switch from a tree to all creatures that are dwarfed from a young age, the reader connects the ideas given in both sections of the poem. Just as trees are pruned and restrained in a small pot, women are dressed up in clothes, told to wear their hair certain ways, and caged up in their houses and working spaces; told to be weak and inferior to what they could be. The shift allows the reader to realize the bigger picture that is being expressed.

After this, there is irony. The poem begins with the proposition that the bonsai tree could have grown to be eighty feet tall had it been allowed to live in its natural habitat. But instead it is “nine inches high” (line 9) and growing in a pot, tended by a gardener. As the gardener prunes this tree, he tells it that “it is your nature to be small and cozy, domestic and weak” (lines 13-15). What is true and what has been told to the tree is obviously contradicting. It is ironic that the tree, which could have been wild and nearly one hundred feet tall, is only inches and is tamed by a gardener who keeps it in a pot. The tree is meant to be big and wild, a giant in the outside world. Its nature is not to be tiny, flimsy, a decoration. This is true of women as well, for they are not to be cozy decorations of an attractive home, their nature is to love and be strong and follow their dreams, just as men do. The irony, the comparison of what the tree should be, and what it is and what the gardener tells it that it should be, attracts the reader’s attention and contributes to the subject of the poem along with the flow of ideas.

Last, there is the diction and word choice that was used throughout the poem. The “attractive pot” is a compromise for the world in which the little tree could live, and is, in a way, a rationalization. The tree is kept in a nice looking pot, and made to look nice as well; it is an object only. Also, the gardener “prunes” and “whittles” the branches. These words are a little harsher for they depict that the gardener is shaping the tree, forcing it to develop a certain way and not allowing it to grow. The gardener is an oppressive force. Furthermore, the last few lines of the poem are also significant. The author states “with living creatures one must begin very early to dwarf their growth” (lines 18-20). The ideas of the tree have broadened to all living creatures, and the meaning of the poem is stated. The author says that to “dwarf” the growth, or to stop a creature from reaching its full potential, the oppressor must begin their work immediately so that the creature will always be small and believe it should be so. The wording here is harsh and the tone is darker. Besides this, there are the last five lines of the poem, “the bound feet, the crippled brain, the hair in curlers, the hands you love to touch.” These lines relate to the human females of the world and how they are or were treated. Women in China bound their feet so that they would stay small. The feet were broken and disfigured, they were unable to walk. But they were told that small feet were a sign of beauty. The female brain is crippled; she was told that she is inferior to male counterparts and that her place was in the home, she was to take care of the children and the house. Also, it used to be that women were not allowed to have the same education that men could. Some could not go to school, while others were blocked from universities or further forms of education. Then, women often put their hair in curlers because of the society; many other women are doing it and the “true, virtuous woman” is often seen with curly, tamed hair. And then is the final line, the hands that you love to touch. Here the author speaks directly to the reader or another person, almost in accusation. The woman is seen only as her hands, an object to be touched. Her mind and personality was not mentioned. Also, this could be a form of babying, for with too much love and protection a human is suffocated and unable to be adventurous and branch out. There are indications and meanings, feelings, behind all of the words that the author uses.

The poem shows how creatures, like bonsai trees or females, are molded into shapes that aren’t natural to them. Bonsai trees are not meant to be small, weak, and domestic and women are not meant to have broken, restrained feet, sheltered educations, or one style of hair. The growth of women is dwarfed by society and men; her body, mind, and actions are forced into one state of being. The meaning and subject of this poem are created and emphasized by the title of the poem, the shift and the metaphor it creates, diction that was used, and the irony that is shown.

I really liked this poem for its creativity in promoting feminism and equality, and uncovering the lies and social expectancies in which women are force-fed. I think that this poem may have been written during, or about, the Women’s Rights Movement. The poem first describes a small tree, and though I think this poem could also be about the taming of nature and humans in general, I think that its main subject is how women are “whittled” into certain shapes and states of mind. The attractive pot is like the pretty house that she was meant to keep, and the gardener could represent the male force or society telling her what her roles are. Women were told to be small, domestic, weak, and create a cozy atmosphere for their husbands who would tell them how lucky they were to live such nice lives, while they, the husbands, had to work and provide. The potential and growth of women are chipped at from the time they are little. They are told how they have to be, made to dress a certain way, not allowed to pursue education, and are blocked from certain rights (this was so in the past and in other areas of the world). The wording and imagery of the poem creates a darker, more sarcastic tone. The true nature of women does not lie in an attractive pot.

259. Speaking (page 318)

I take him outside
under the tree,
have him stand on the ground.
We listen to the crickets,
cicadas, million years old sound.
Ants come by us.
I tell them,
“This is he, my son.
This boy is looking at you.
I am speaking for him.”

The crickets, cicadas,
the ants, the million of years
are watching us,
hearing us
My son murmurs infant words,
speaking, small laughter
bubbles from him.
Tree leaves tremble.
They listen to this boy
speaking for me.

Simon J. Ortiz (b. 1941)

The poem Speaking, by Simon J. Ortiz portrays a parent taking their baby boy outside and introducing him to the nature of the world. But the wildlife, plants, and time do not comprehend human wording, so they turn to observation. The baby also spoke, but with sounds and feelings instead of words, this way of speaking was understood. The use of personification, repetition, and title help to better expose the meaning of the poem, and these devices contribute to the overall experience of it.

First, personification is used with the flora, fauna, and time. In the poem the insects and millions of years are watching and hearing the two people. These human characteristics are given to time and insects (though insects do possess these two qualities). In the beginning of the second stanza, this personification is important because the adult is speaking for himself or herself, but also for the boy. Words are used, and the wildlife of the forest and the time all around them listen. But then the boy “murmurs infant words” (line 15) and he too speaks. In response the “leaves tremble. They listen to this boy” (lines 18 and 19). Leaves cannot hear or move voluntarily, but the poem shows them as creatures who can. This is important for it shows that the boy is communicating, speaking, and is more understood by the world around him then the parent who was merely watched. This also goes along with the diction utilized; for while the adult speaks, the world is watching and listening. But while the baby speaks, the world listens and trembles in response, a communication. The words speak, listen, and watch are all important to the poem. They link with ways in which beings communicate.

Next, the repetition in this piece is interesting because it changes the characters and actions around. Firstly, “we listen to the crickets, cicadas, million years old sound” (lines 4 and 5) and then “the crickets, cicadas, ants, the millions of years are watching us, hearing us” (lines 11-14). True, this is not exact repetition, but the wording is very similar. What makes these lines of near repetition interesting is that there is a switch from the parent and child listening to the sounds of nature, to nature listening and watching the two people speaking back to them. This puts an emphasis on the different speakers and receivers, thus further implying the meaning of the poem. Also, there are the last two lines of each stanza; “‘this boy is looking at you. I am speaking for him’” (lines 9 and 10) and “they listen to this boy speaking for me” (lines 19 and 20). Because of the similarity of the lines, especially the endings, the reader is drawn to the words. Again they contribute to the overall meaning of the poem. These lines also show a connection, like the circle of life. The wildlife speaks and the parent speaks for the child, and then the wildlife listens and the baby speaks for its guardian. The interchanging roles are interesting to follow.

Last, there is the title, which is simply the word “speaking.” This tells the reader that they are going to experience a piece that is describing speaking. This word is very general and never expresses which way that the people or nature is speaking. The title is the introduction to the meaning and also connects the words speak, listen, and watch together, which are each senses that people have. The title explains the meaning simply and is powerful in that it is the only word that the reader has to soak up in the beginning.

The poem is showing that though adults can speak, they are not as close to nature as a baby who speaks with sounds and feelings, and is driven by instinct. There are many ways of speaking; one can speak with their voice, body movements, facial expressions, and sounds. We do not all speak the same languages, but there are some ways of speaking that everyone and everything can understand. The devices used help to contribute to the meaning of the poem, and the experience. Personification shows how nature responded to the adult and baby when each of them spoke in their own ways. It also created imagery which made the poem more smooth and interesting. Repetition emphasizes who the two people are talking to, not another human, but a perceiving forest and wildlife. It is also important to note the last two lines of each stanza. These lines are not repetition, but are similar in wording and sound. This diction shows how differently people speak. The parent is speaking for the son who cannot say words, but the baby is speaking for the parent who cannot connect with nature as he can. And then the title also links to the poem’s meaning and experience. Its solitary word is the introduction to the piece, and the word that is kept in mind during the poem. It hints to the indication of the poem; there is more then one way to speak.

I liked this poem and how short and simple it was. Though it is not filled with imagery and drastic devices, it is quaint and enjoyable in its own way. One thing that I find interesting about this poem is that the meaning of it could be just as evident in various other scenes, but this one was chosen. The lines are short, but the flow of the poem is not choppy. Rather, there is more emphasis on the words of each line, and it allows the reader to dwell on the thoughts of each individual line. People often become so engrossed with words and languages that they forget to remember the other ways of communicating. Eyes, body gestures, facial expressions, and simple sounds are also ways in which people and animals speak. The author used trees and insects in the poem instead of people. They understood the baby’s way of talking and the feelings that he emitted, though words meant very little to them. This poem was also enjoyable because of the words that it used. They were soft, such as “murmur” “laughter bubbles from him” and “tremble.” There were no harsh words and the tone was not melancholy. Rather, words released a tone and feeling that was calm, light, expressive. Millions of years have caused the earth to evolve and its organism to change, but still we are all connected and able to listen and communicate with each other if we want to. The poem starts with the parent and child listening the insects and a million years old sounds, then the parent uses words to speak to the listening creatures, and last the baby murmurs sounds and laughs with his own way of speaking and the earth continues to listen. We all speak, no matter in what way, you just have to know which way to listen, with your ears or with your eyes.