Looking at the title of Marge Piercy’s “A Work of Artifice,” readers can break it down and sense the foreshadowing. In the Oxford dictionary, “artifice” is defined as “clever or cunning devices or expedients, use to trick or deceive others.” This foreshadows the deception that the writer exposes in the poem. Piercy describes a global dilemma the the use of metaphor (a bonsai tree). A bonsai tree is “an ornamental tree or shrub grown in a pot and artificially prevented from reaching its normal size.” Given the opportunity, this tree could grow to enormous heights. Yet, it is trimmed by gardeners’. This metaphor of the tree compared to women’s suppression and the gardener as the suppressor. Women have been “bound” to “domestic” duties and Marge …show more content…
Diction is evident when Piercey writes “the bonsai tree in the attractive pot could have grown eighty feet tall.” From this line, readers are introduced to the subject, a bonsai tree and hints at the potential of the tree. Readers also notice that thought it could have grown “eighty feet tall,” it had been stunted and is only “nine inches high.” The readers now realize that the tree’s growth has been purposely hindered by the gardener, who is shaping the tree to his own taste and is manipulating it for his own benefit. With this in mind, Piercey writes in the fifteenth line, “how lucky, little tree.” The word lucky underscores that the tree should be blessed to be in the position it is. Blessed that the gardener is trimming down its potential. The sarcasm written is placed to mock the foolishness of society for allowing such an injustice to become norm. Piercey’s use of diction unveils the mistreatment of a bonsai tree to represent society’s exploitation of …show more content…
Readers are introduced to a “bonsai tree in the attractive pot” in the first two lines. Here metaphor is established. The bonsai tree is being compared to the average woman. Like a bonsai tree, the average woman can become a distinguished figure and meet her full potential. For fear that the tree were to grow out of its pot, it may be alienated, it remains confined to its pot. A woman may feel inclined to stick to societal expectations for fear of being detached from others. Consequently, inside the pot, no woman or bonsai tree can grow to their fullest potential. Metaphorical use is also shown as Piercey compares the gardener to society. Continuously, society tries to mold women into being “domestic and weak.” The gardener is shown doing this as he “carefully prunes” and “whittles back the branches.” He is only declining the progression of the bonsai tree as he creates his own vision for it. In the attempt to be “attractive,” the potential of the tree is taken and it continues to watch their branches be pruned and whittled away. Like this tree, women face the struggle to succeed in life while having societal inequities pinned on their