Secretary Chant
Women are constantly demoralized and portrayed stereotypically as simple beings specifically secretaries. Though do not fret for Marge Piercy has felt the same and has written “The Secretary Chant” to help women relate and to help empower them and to be their own person. In this one stanza free verse poem Ms. Piercy uses a variety of poetic devices to convey her theme of the being overworked. The majority of the poem uses metaphors to explain how a secretary carries all her paperwork and files with “My hips are a desk” (1.1). The poem continues with even more metaphors with the line “From my ears hang/chains of paper clips” (1.2-3) which continues her comparison of her body to office equipment. The metaphor of “Rubber bands form my hair” (1.4)
is Ms. Piercy again reaffirming that the secretary feels like she is viewed just as a piece of office equipment. “My breasts are quills of/mimeograph ink.” (1.5-6) The secretary views her breasts as a mimeograph ink which is used to make copies of documents which is a common tool used by secretaries. An important part of a secretary’s job has is to walk whether from one office to another or to file documents which is seen in the metaphor “My feet bear casters/Buzz. Click” (1.7-8) while using a onomatopoeia to emphasize that fact. Then with “My head is a badly organized file.” (1.9) Ms. Piercy uses a metaphor to explain how much an office worker needs to know and how easy it is to forget to do something or remember important information. She uses another metaphor to explain how easy it is for secretaries to believe they are going crazy with “My head is a switchboard/where crossed lines crackle” (1.10-11). The figurative language in the next three lines uses imagery to show that even with hard work that the workers are not paid enough with “Press my fingers/and in my eyes appear/credit and debit” (1.12-14). The use of the line “Zing. Tinkle” (1.15) is hard to think of why this is in the poem, but tinkle is a onomatopoeia and use imagery like zing with a chime like sound. The metaphor on the next line “My navel is a reject button” (1.16) relates to the fact that workers have to be clothed in formal attire like a uniform or a professional outfit. Workers are forced to remember documents and other dealings from work which is expressed with the metaphor “From my mouth issue canceled reams” (1.17). Ms. Piercy reiterates that offices works are essentially coping machines with “Swollen, heavy, rectangular/I am about to be delivered/of a baby/Xerox machine” (1.18-21). Then we see how the workers no longer feel like people, but as just bodies with the use of metaphor and alliteration in “File me under W/because I wonce/was/a woman” (1.22-25). Ms. Piercy uses a liberal amount of metaphor’s to show the state of being overworked in job market. Jobs tend to view workers as just office equipment and easy to replace. This practice has been around for ages and in “The Secretary Chant” the reader sees how extreme this has become. Hopefully this poem has brought attention to this serious situation and brings about change that is needed.
is Ms. Piercy again reaffirming that the secretary feels like she is viewed just as a piece of office equipment. “My breasts are quills of/mimeograph ink.” (1.5-6) The secretary views her breasts as a mimeograph ink which is used to make copies of documents which is a common tool used by secretaries. An important part of a secretary’s job has is to walk whether from one office to another or to file documents which is seen in the metaphor “My feet bear casters/Buzz. Click” (1.7-8) while using a onomatopoeia to emphasize that fact. Then with “My head is a badly organized file.” (1.9) Ms. Piercy uses a metaphor to explain how much an office worker needs to know and how easy it is to forget to do something or remember important information. She uses another metaphor to explain how easy it is for secretaries to believe they are going crazy with “My head is a switchboard/where crossed lines crackle” (1.10-11). The figurative language in the next three lines uses imagery to show that even with hard work that the workers are not paid enough with “Press my fingers/and in my eyes appear/credit and debit” (1.12-14). The use of the line “Zing. Tinkle” (1.15) is hard to think of why this is in the poem, but tinkle is a onomatopoeia and use imagery like zing with a chime like sound. The metaphor on the next line “My navel is a reject button” (1.16) relates to the fact that workers have to be clothed in formal attire like a uniform or a professional outfit. Workers are forced to remember documents and other dealings from work which is expressed with the metaphor “From my mouth issue canceled reams” (1.17). Ms. Piercy reiterates that offices works are essentially coping machines with “Swollen, heavy, rectangular/I am about to be delivered/of a baby/Xerox machine” (1.18-21). Then we see how the workers no longer feel like people, but as just bodies with the use of metaphor and alliteration in “File me under W/because I wonce/was/a woman” (1.22-25). Ms. Piercy uses a liberal amount of metaphor’s to show the state of being overworked in job market. Jobs tend to view workers as just office equipment and easy to replace. This practice has been around for ages and in “The Secretary Chant” the reader sees how extreme this has become. Hopefully this poem has brought attention to this serious situation and brings about change that is needed.