A Work of Artifice
Marge Piercy's poem “A Work of Artifice” uses the metaphor of a bonsai tree to symbolise the societal constraints and expectations that shrink women's growth. Answer the following MCQs and question answers based on the poem.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What is the central metaphor in the poem?
2. The bonsai tree could have grown eighty feet tall if it weren't for:
3. The gardener's actions towards the bonsai tree can be seen as a metaphor for:
4. The phrase 'It is your nature to be small and cozy' implies:
5. The lines 'With living creatures one must begin very early to dwarf their growth' suggest that:
6. The examples of 'bound feet,' 'crippled brain,' 'hair in curlers,' and 'hands you love to touch' represent:
7. The poem primarily focuses on:
8. The poem suggests that women's potential is often:
Reference to Context Questions
It is your nature
to be small and cozy,
domestic and weak;
Question: How do these lines draw parallels to the life of women?
Answer: The lines reflect societal expectations and restrictions often imposed on women, expecting them to be confined to domestic roles, submissive, and dependent.
Question: Who is speaking these lines in the poem?
Answer: The gardener is speaking these lines in the poem.
With living creatures
one must begin very early
to dwarf their growth:
Question: What is the underlying meaning of these lines? Explain.
Answer: The underlying meaning of these lines is that to control or limit someone's development, it's most effective to start early in their life. The poem uses this metaphorically to critique the societal constraints placed on women. Poet implies that from a young age, girls are conditioned to limit their ambitions, independence, and full potential. Thus, the life of a woman is compared to that of a bonsai tree.
Question: Name the poet and the poem.
Answer: The poet is Marge Piercy, and the poem is 'A Work of Artifice'.