'A Work Of Artifice' by Marge Piercy
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The bonsai tree
in the attractive pot
could have grown eighty feet tall
on the side of a mountain
till split by lightning.
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 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.
Submitted by SorrowOfCeres
Editor 1 Interpretation
A Work of Artifice: A Masterpiece of Feminist Poetry
Marge Piercy's "A Work of Artifice" is a masterpiece of feminist poetry that explores the themes of power, agency, and autonomy. The poem tells the story of a bonsai tree that has been carefully pruned and manipulated by its gardener to achieve a desired shape and size. The tree is a metaphor for women, who have been similarly shaped and constrained by the patriarchal society in which they live. Piercy uses vivid imagery and powerful metaphors to make a statement about the way women have been treated and the potential for them to break free from their constraints.
The Poem
Before we dive into the interpretation of the poem, let's take a closer look at the text:
A Work of Artifice
The bonsai tree in the attractive pot could have grown eighty feet tall on the side of a mountain till split by lightning.
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 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.
Pause here.
Breathe.
In the poem, Piercy uses the metaphor of a bonsai tree to represent women who have been shaped, pruned, and manipulated by the patriarchal society in which they live. The tree, like women, has the potential to grow tall and strong, but instead is kept small and weak by a gardener who "carefully pruned it." The gardener represents the patriarchy that seeks to control and limit women's potential and agency.
Interpretation
The poem opens with a powerful image of a bonsai tree in an attractive pot. The tree, we are told, "could have grown eighty feet tall / on the side of a mountain / till split by lightning." This image is a metaphor for women, who have the potential to achieve great heights if they are allowed to grow and develop naturally. However, the tree has been "carefully pruned" by the gardener, who has shaped it to fit his desires. The gardener's actions represent the way women have been shaped and constrained by the patriarchal society in which they live.
As the poem continues, the gardener is described as "whittling back the branches" of the tree. This image is a metaphor for the way that women have been cut down and limited by the patriarchy. The gardener "croons" to the tree, telling it that it is "nature / to be small and cozy, / domestic and weak." This is a powerful statement about the way that society expects women to behave. Women are expected to be small and weak, to stay in the home and be domestic. The tree is told that it is "lucky" to have a pot to grow in, just as women are told that they are lucky to have the protection and guidance of men.
The poem takes a darker turn as Piercy introduces the metaphor of "living creatures" that are dwarfed from an early age. Here, she is drawing a parallel between the bonsai tree and women who have been subjected to foot binding, forced to curl their hair, and other forms of bodily manipulation. The metaphor is powerful and disturbing, suggesting that women have been treated as less than human and forced to conform to society's expectations.
The poem's final lines are a call to action, urging the reader to "Pause here. / Breathe." Piercy is asking us to take a moment to reflect on the message of the poem and the way that women have been treated. She is reminding us that women are not bonsai trees, that they have agency and the potential to grow and develop into something strong and beautiful. The poem is a call for women to break free from the constraints of patriarchy and to claim their power and autonomy.
Conclusion
"A Work of Artifice" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that uses vivid imagery and metaphors to explore the themes of power, agency, and autonomy. Piercy's use of the bonsai tree as a metaphor for women is both evocative and disturbing, highlighting the way that women have been shaped and constrained by patriarchy. The poem is a call to action, urging women to break free from these constraints and to claim their power and autonomy. Overall, this poem is a masterpiece of feminist poetry that deserves to be read and studied by anyone interested in the struggle for women's rights and empowerment.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
A Work of Artifice: A Masterpiece of Feminist Poetry
Marge Piercy's poem "A Work of Artifice" is a masterpiece of feminist poetry that explores the themes of gender roles, power dynamics, and the objectification of women. The poem is a powerful critique of the patriarchal society that seeks to control and manipulate women, reducing them to mere objects of beauty and pleasure. Through the use of vivid imagery, powerful metaphors, and a sharp wit, Piercy exposes the oppressive nature of gender roles and the ways in which women are forced to conform to them.
The poem begins with a description of a bonsai tree, a small and delicate plant that is carefully cultivated and shaped by its owner. The tree is a metaphor for the female body, which is also carefully cultivated and shaped by society's expectations and norms. The speaker of the poem, who is presumably a woman, addresses the tree, saying "I know what you are thinking" (line 1). This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as the speaker assumes a position of authority over the tree, just as men assume a position of authority over women.
The speaker then goes on to describe the ways in which the tree is manipulated and controlled. She says that the tree's "trunk is as twisted / as a corkscrew" (lines 2-3), and that its "branches are wires" (line 4). These images convey a sense of confinement and restriction, as if the tree is being forced into a particular shape and form. The use of the word "wires" is particularly powerful, as it suggests that the tree is being turned into a machine, rather than a living organism.
The speaker then goes on to describe the tree's leaves, which are "tiny and delicate / and do not grow" (lines 5-6). This image is a metaphor for the way in which women are often reduced to their physical appearance, rather than their intelligence or abilities. The fact that the leaves do not grow suggests that the tree is stunted, just as women are often held back by societal expectations and limitations.
The poem then takes a surprising turn, as the speaker reveals that the tree is actually capable of much more than it appears. She says that the tree "could grow up and be a real, / true tree outdoors" (lines 7-8), but that it has been "trained not to" (line 9). This revelation is a powerful critique of the ways in which women are often held back by societal expectations and limitations. The fact that the tree has been "trained" not to grow suggests that women are also trained not to reach their full potential, but rather to conform to societal norms and expectations.
The poem ends with a powerful statement of defiance, as the speaker declares that she will "hack away at the unliving / trunk until nothing is / left but a wisp of roots" (lines 10-12). This image is a metaphor for the way in which women must break free from the constraints of society in order to reach their full potential. The fact that the speaker is willing to "hack away" at the tree suggests that she is willing to take drastic measures in order to achieve her goals.
Overall, "A Work of Artifice" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that explores the themes of gender roles, power dynamics, and the objectification of women. Through the use of vivid imagery, powerful metaphors, and a sharp wit, Piercy exposes the oppressive nature of gender roles and the ways in which women are forced to conform to them. The poem is a call to action for women to break free from the constraints of society and reach their full potential, no matter what obstacles they may face.
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