Marge Piercy "A Work of Artifice"

Dominance has a way of unconsciously controlling you physically and emotionally. As a female you have the right to stand up, be who you want, and live up to the potential you know you have. By looking at poetry as reflected in literary elements such as form, tone and symbolism Marge Piercy’s “A Work of Artifice,” one can see the oppression of women and feministic problems in society. This is relevant because it is within society today and will stay that way if not changed. This poem gives readers a realization that repression is not only in other cultures but where you stand and live today. A significant aspect of a piece of poetry is its form. In “A Work of Artifice” the form is open and essential to notice, for example the structure of the lines are very short and retained to represent the bonsai tree brought to the reader’s attention in the first line. This “carefully pruned” tree, however, signifies the life of women and how society has deprived them from flourishing to their full potential because of men (Piercy 7). Piercy wrote this poem as a free verse to show irony that women are not actually free individuals and cannot do what they want as their male partner has complete dominance and control over them. “If this poem did have a structured rhyme scheme and meter, it would have added to the structured lives of what [is] expected in women’s lives.” (“AP Lit Blog”) Not having a detailed rhyme scheme puts emphasis on the freedom women are equally entitled to. As a social activist and a poet, it is no surprise this type of poem is written by Marge Piercy. She has a strong view on feminism and makes her point within this poem without critically blaming or pointing a finger directly to men but as a reader the inference is made. The tone in this poem becomes evident within the first few lines and comes off very strong. Frustration and anger is shown by the author’s tone giving the idea of a woman being denied of living up to their potential and being all they can possibly be, “it is your nature / to be small and cozy, / domestic and weak;” (12-14). Women are shown to be inferior to men and these men have always expected little success but everything else in return from them. The poet’s point of view must be taken into thought and consideration because it is her attitude that may end up influencing the reader’s opinion on feminism and the male-dominated society we live in. The tone affects the mood of the poem and reveals the attitude of the poet. Symbolism in Marge Piercy’s poem “A Work of Artifice” is used to address her own ideas of social change. The “bonsai tree” (1) symbolizes females and the “gardener” (6) suggests males who perceivably command who women should be and what they become of themselves. Although the bonsai tree comes from the Chinese culture, it is of great importance to know that this problem is evident in all cultures. These symbols leave a lasting impression on the readers. The whole poem is symbolic of women’s resistance of equality and men trying to make women feel lucky and fortunate to even have a home to live in. Marge Piercy wrote “A Work of Artifice,” a strong piece of poetry about feminism and the struggles of women throughout time. In order to successfully appreciate and understand poetry the reader must be aware of the content and thought put into words used and how they contribute to the poem. Likewise, to analyze the poetry one must be able to understand the structure, symbols, poet’s attitude, as well as an overall understanding of poetry. Marge Piercy’s poetry comes from the heart, is very personal, sometimes angry and also emotional.

Anonymous. “AP Lit Blog.” 29 Mar. 2008. Web. 25 Sep. 2012
Piercy, Marge. “A Work of Artifice.” The Wascana Poetry Anthology. Ed. Richard G. Harvey. Regina: Canadian Plains Research Center, 1996. 202-203. Print.