A Work Of Artifice Poem by Marge Piercy

I love this. Would like more insight on 'the hands you love to touch.' The bonzai tree's hands? The woman's? Both? Of course.

bruh

Why do we feel such an overwhelming need to change the nature of our environment and our physical and mental self? Is it drive for some personal idea of perfection or is it a sign of power hungry control freaks?

I tend to agree with Martin's interpretation of this piece. I find this poem wonderfully powerful!

This to me is a cry against the human need to control, dominate and frequently distort that which is beautiful in it's natural state already. Fashion is simply that tendency taken to a different level. Binding feet to conform with some twisted idea of beauty. This to me is an angry poem of passion. I think it is excellent.

Taylor Callis: If you would've read Marge Piercy's biography, you would've known that Marge Piercy was born in 1938. Did she really write this poem as an eight year old little girl who obviously knew nothing about the Depression going on? A Work of Artifice was a poem published in Marge's The Art of Blessing the Day: Poems with a Jewish Theme in 1999. She was writing the poem refering to women's rights in the 1960's and that time period. An artifice by the way is -A Clever of Artsy Skill. Reread the poem.