A Work of Artifice
Marge Piercy's poem “A Work of Artifice” uses the metaphor of a bonsai tree to symbolize the societal constraints and expectations that limit women's growth and potential.
Meet the Author
- Marge Piercy is an American progressive activist, writer, and feminist.
- Born: March 31, 1936
- Place of Birth: Detroit, Michigan.
- Major Works: Woman on the Edge of Time, He, She and It
- Best Known For: Her poems mainly talk about societal constraints and feminism.
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Summary & Analysis
A miniature tree is planted in an attractive pot. To maintain its small size, the gardener prunes the tree to nine inches. The tree which could have grown to an eight feet tall height is pruned. The poet exaggerates the statement by saying that only lightning could damage the tree. She continues to say that nature has been constrained by various external factors.
She calls the tree lucky as its nature has made the tree compact and weak to take form indoors. This highlights the heights of conditioning and how manipulative the society controls and shapes the individuals. She creates a false narrative in this statement in contrast to what she thinks.
The poet symbolizes that the societal constraints not only apply to plants but all living beings. The poet states that women mainly are suppressed by social conditioning. This also interprets how women adapt themselves for existence despite all the restrictions.
It is your nature
to be small and cozy,
domestic and weak;
how lucky, little tree,
to have a pot to grow in
The gardener not only trims the tree but destroys its natural habitat from the roots. The tree's nature reflects society's tendency to alter nature for aesthetic purposes. Women from the beginning are designed to meet unrealistic beauty standards. Their identity and expression of voicing out are suppressed because of that. He quotes in the poem that a woman's true nature is hindered by their bound feet, crippled brain, and hair in curlers.
the bound feet,
the crippled brain,
the hair in curlers,
the hands you
love to touch.
To meet the external pressures and the aesthetic expectations of society the growth of women is curtailed. Hence, the poem challenges the limitations set by society on what genuine beauty and authenticity are. It elaborates on the sense of self-discovery. The poem helps us find who we are. The poet creates awareness about the women's empowerment hampered by patriarchy.
The imagery of the bonsai tree is used as a medium to express the societal conditioning of women and the struggle for self-discovery. The main aim of the poet was to create a broader perspective of thinking about women. The poem wants to convey the message of ignoring artificial beauty standards and embracing true nature and authenticity.
The poem ‘A Work Of Artifice’ consists of short stanzas and lines and ensures the message is conveyed more simply. No rhyming scheme is followed here.
Now let us take a look at some of the literary devices used in the story.
Metaphor:
A metaphor helps to explain something or make a comparison though not literally. An example of a metaphor in the poem is:
- A Bonsai tree is a metaphor for women who face discrimination and constraints.
Personification:
A figure of speech where abstract ideas are endowed with attributes of human beings, here are some examples:
- The poet gives life to inanimate objects like the bonsai tree addressing them as feet, brains, and hair.
Apostrophe:
It is a figure of speech where the speaker directly addresses someone who cannot respond in reality. Some examples of apostrophes used in the poem are:
the bound feet,
the crippled brain,
the hair in curlers,
the hands you
Love to touch.
Symbolism
It is a figure of speech that uses symbols to indicate ideas and qualities
- Bonsai tree - It symbolizes the woman restricted by social expectations.
- Gardener - It symbolizes the individual who is confined by external pressures.
- Pot
- Bound feet
- Hairs
- Cripled brain
Allusion
It is a figure of speech referring to other words or cultures. It talks about women who are restricted by patriarchy. Here is a line from the poem.
how lucky, little tree,
to have a pot to grow in.
Hope the summary, analysis of the poem ‘A Work of Artifice’ helped you. Find more summaries, Q&As and blog on ICSE English Literature topics at Aneetta Class. Learn how to analyse a poem and score in your exams.
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A Work of Artifice Questions and Answers
Below are a few questions that you can look out for your examinations and class tests. Stand out with perfectly written answers with help of Aneetta Class.
It is the main character in the poem. Its growth potential is hampered which portrays the qualities of a woman who is controlled by societal expectations and patriarchy.
The gardener trims and depletes the natural growth of the tree by pruning it and sets limitations to grow it only indoors. His actions contradicted his soothing tone.
It talks about the history of China where women's feet were broken to restrict their growth. It signifies that women are bound tightly to meet unrealistic standards due to external pressures.