Written in 1970 by an American woman, she ragebaits the obsession of patriarchy to break the woman as if she has no existence. It has always been the nature of this world since ancient times that the weak are always oppressed by the one in power. One who is in authority tries to exercise his or her powers to control the people who are below them. The weak has always been oppressed, subjugated and exploitated by the owerful, authority-exercising section.
In this poem, Marge Piercy uses the process of pruning or the art of bonsai tree making to address how the patriarchy pruns the growth of women who have the potential to change the world. The patriarchy has assigned certain behaviours for the women-docile, meek, frail and obedient. Piercy has addressed also the patriarchal expectations from a woman.
About the Poet: Marge Piercy and Her Feminist Poetry
Marge Piercy hails from Detroit, Michigan. She knew very well the post World War II atmosphere. Growing up in that atmosphere, she faced a lot of criticisms and discriminations. She was discriminated twice-first being a Jew and then being a woman. All these experiences shaped Piercy’s anti-injustice sensibility that can be well perceived from her literary works. She has published 20 books of poetry and almost 20 novels. All these works bore a feminist perspective. Her novels He, She and It (1991) won the counrty’s prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award. Her novel Woman on the Edge of Time (1976) has been credited for being the first work of cyber-punk. Her work also includes Gone to Soldiers is a New York times Best Seller.
Summary Bonsai Tree as a Symbol of Women
The bonsai tree is planted in an attractive pot which had the potential to grow upto 80 feet on the side of a mountain. But a gardener wanted to turn it into a bonsai tree. So, he prunes it carefully day by day. Now the tree, which meant to be 80 feet, is now only 9 inches tall. The gardener, while humming, prunes the tree so precisely and carefully that he says it is in the nature of this tree to be small and cozy.
It should be domestic and weak. The tree is called lucky to have a pot where it can grow without any burden. In the ending lines, the speaker says that while dealing with living creatures, their disciplining should start very early. They should be dwarf with feet in shackles. The hair should be in curlers and the hands meant to be touched should be bounded too. Reading the last lines refer to women as living creatures. According to patriarchal setup, the women is meant to be disciplined and controlled so that they can never achieve their full potential.
Analysis of A Work of Artifice: Feminist Interpretation and Meaning
The whole poem is written in metaphorical way. On an analytical level, we can easily perceive the poem is talking about women who are disciplined by patriarchy. The bonsai tree is a woman who is kept confined within the four walls of an attractive house. The “pot” can also mean attractive home or a dress. The woman always had the potential to achieve spectacular things in life but her talents and abilities are deliberately stunted by the insecure patriarchy. So, the “gardener” which is patriarchal system prunes the woman’s capacities, abilities and talents carefully.
Actually, we can interpret the story in this way also that men and women were good at extensive range of things. Both of them showed great potential. But one day a fraction of like-minded people decided to exercise unquestioning exercise to derive huge profits. They exercised the mindset of a dictator. They wanted to sow injustice. If they wanted control and power, they needed an ideology to hypnotize the minds of the people.
They came up with the idea that what if the some living creatures are made the property of other living creatures. So, they started to sow divisions on the basis of distinctions like physiological differences. Humans had the benefit of language and communications over Nature and animals. So, these two were already excluded from the list. They were considered as the rightful property of the powerful.
So, there remained women who possessed every qualities but were discriminated on the basis of physique and physiological strength. Men thought women should be controlled so that they can establish their foothold. They made women a second-class citizen with no rights and benefits like that of a man. They became objects which can easily be exploited and violated by patriarchal men. So, patriarchy decided to stunt the growth of the woman. They turned to pruned to achieve the desired result.
So, patriarchy has stunted the growth of women and it has been successful. Being highly gifted with potentiality, she is now reduced to a dwarf. The gardener-patriarchy favorite task is to trim the branches of the tree. While trimming he hums a song telling to the bonsai tree that it is in its nature to be small, cozy, domestic and weak. All these specified characteristics are specifically expected in a woman.
So,what should be done? In case of living creatures, especially women the disciplining should start very early to dwarf their growth. The first is brain growth because if the brain is not fully developed it will never know how to question. Then comes the feet which refers to the freedom of a woman. It must be shackled. The women are lovely to watch in curlers so they should only consider how to look beautiful.
Line by Line Explanation
The bonsai tree
in the attractive pot
Planted in an attractive pot
could have grown eighty feet tall
Could grow to 80 feet
on the side of a mountain
On the side of a mountain
till split by lightning.
Till lighning striked it down
But a gardener
But a gardener
carefully pruned it.
Trimmed it carefully
It is nine inches high.
It is now only nine inches tall
Every day as he
He does this everyday
whittles back the branches
He cuts its branches everyday
the gardener croons,
While trimming, he hums a song
It is your nature
And says to the tree that it is in its nature to be short
to be small and cozy,
To be short and cozy
domestic and weak;
Domestic and weak
how lucky, little tree,
You are lucky little tree
to have a pot to grow in.
That you have your own pot
With living creatures
With living creature certain precautions are important
one must begin very early
The first being that its pruning should start from very early
to dwarf their growth:
So that its growth can be controlled and stunted
the bound feet,
The feet can be bounded
the crippled brain,
The brain development can be controlled
the hair in curlers,
The hair looks beautiful in the curlers. Here, the poet is talking about women who are brainwashed to be busy in beautification
the hands you
The hands should be moulded before the benefactor gets the opportunity to touch it
love to touch.
The benefactor is none other than the partriarchy.
Themes in A Work of Artifice: Major Themes and Feminist Concerns
Patriarchy and Its Domination Over Women: Feminist Theme in A Work of Artifice
Patriarchy is a ideology where the advantages should be enjoyed by the men and women should never dare to enjoy such rights. In this poem, it has been openly claimed by the patriarchy who has taken over the role of a gardener.The gardener is a clever person who knows the process of trimming very well.he knows how to trim so that the growth becomes stunted. This results in the dwarfism of the women and they become utterly dependent on their benefactors for reaping basic rights.
Form and Structure of A Work of Artifice by Marge Piercy: Free Verse and Poetic Structure
• Form: Free verse (no regular rhyme scheme or meter).
• Stanza: One continuous stanza consisting of 24 short lines.
• Line Length: The lines are deliberately short and clipped, visually reflecting the pruning and restriction of the bonsai tree.
• Narrative Style: Third-person narration, with the final lines shifting to directly address the reader, making the message more personal and impactful.
• Enjambment: Many lines run into the next without punctuation, creating a restrained flow that mirrors the gradual shaping and control imposed on the bonsai tree.
• End-stopped Lines: Used for emphasis, especially when stating the tree’s reduced size (“It is nine inches high”), highlighting its restricted existence.
• Visual Structure: The compact appearance of the poem itself resembles the miniature bonsai tree, reinforcing the theme of confinement and suppressed growth.
Literary Devices in A Work of Artifice: Metaphor, Symbolism, Irony and Allusion
In “A Work of Artifice” (also known as “A Piece of Artifice”), Marge Piercy employs several literary devices to emphasize the poem’s central theme of suppressed potential. The poem is built around an extended metaphor, where the bonsai tree represents individuals, particularly women, whose natural growth is deliberately restricted by society, while the gardener symbolizes the patriarchal forces that impose these limitations. The poem also functions as an allegory, with every element carrying a deeper symbolic meaning. Symbolism is central to the poem, as the bonsai, the flowerpot, and the mountain represent confinement, social conditioning, and freedom respectively.
Piercy uses personification by giving the bonsai tree human-like qualities, making the reader empathize with its silent suffering. Irony is evident when the gardener claims that the tree is “lucky” to remain small, although its stunted growth is the result of deliberate manipulation. The poet further employs contrast by juxtaposing the tree’s potential height of eighty feet with its actual height of only nine inches, highlighting the loss of opportunity. Rich visual imagery enables readers to picture the carefully pruned bonsai and imagine the majestic tree it could have become. Additionally, the reference to bound feet serves as an allusion to the historical Chinese practice of foot-binding, reinforcing the poem’s criticism of the systematic oppression and restriction of women.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the summary of A Work of Artifice by Marge Piercy?
The poem uses the image of a bonsai tree that is deliberately pruned and kept small as a metaphor for the way patriarchal society restricts women’s growth, freedom, talents and potential.
What is the main theme of A Work of Artifice?
The main theme of the poem is patriarchy and the systematic restriction of women’s potential. The bonsai tree represents a woman whose natural growth is deliberately controlled by patriarchal society.
What does the bonsai tree symbolize in A Work of Artifice?
The bonsai tree symbolizes women whose natural abilities, freedom and potential are restricted by social and patriarchal expectations.
What does the gardener represent in A Work of Artifice?
The gardener represents the patriarchal system that deliberately controls, shapes and restricts women’s growth and independence.
What does the pot symbolize in A Work of Artifice?
The pot can be interpreted as a symbol of confinement and the socially acceptable domestic space in which women are expected to remain.
What literary devices are used in A Work of Artifice?
Marge Piercy uses extended metaphor, allegory, symbolism, personification, irony, contrast, visual imagery and allusion in the poem.
Why is the bonsai tree important in A Work of Artifice?
The bonsai tree is important because its deliberately restricted growth represents the way society can suppress women’s natural abilities and prevent them from reaching their full potential.
What is the significance of the eighty feet and nine inches in the poem?
The contrast between eighty feet and nine inches emphasizes the difference between the tree’s natural potential and its artificially restricted condition. It reinforces the poem’s central idea of suppressed potential.
What is the form of A Work of Artifice by Marge Piercy?
The poem is written in free verse, without a regular rhyme scheme or meter. Its short and clipped lines visually reinforce the idea of pruning and restriction.
Conclusion: Central Message of A Work of Artifice by Marge Piercy
A Work of Artifice is a powerful feminist poem that uses the image of a carefully pruned bonsai tree to expose the ways in which patriarchal society restricts women’s freedom, abilities and potential. The gardener, the pot and the pruning process become important symbols of social control and conditioning. Through this extended metaphor, Marge Piercy shows how women who possess enormous potential can be deliberately reduced and confined by patriarchal expectations.
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