rssenglishworld, The English Literature and Grammar Digest

  A Work of Artifice   by Marge Piercy  The bonsai tree in the attractive pot could have grown eighty feet tall on the side of a mountain till split by lightning. But a gardener carefully pruned it. It is nine inches high. Every day as he whittles back the branches the gardener croons, It is your nature to be small and cozy, domestic and weak; how lucky, little tree, to have a pot to grow in. With living creatures one must begin very early to dwarf their growth: the bound feet, the crippled brain, the hair in curlers, the hands you love to touch. A Work of Artifice by Marge Piercy — Line-by-Line Explanation This poem uses the image of a bonsai tree to discuss how society, especially men in positions of power, often limit the growth and potential of women. The title A Work of Artifice means something artificial, deliberately created, or manipulated, suggesting that women's limitations are not natural but imposed by society. The bonsai tree Explanation: The poem begins...

Why I Like the Hospital  by Tony Hoagland: Detailed Summary Tony Hoagland’s poem “Why I Like the Hospital” presents a reflective and honest exploration of human emotions within the hospital setting. The poet does not glorify hospitals in a superficial way; instead, he appreciates them for the emotional truth and self-awareness they allow. The poem begins with the speaker describing how the hospital permits people to be in a bad mood without guilt. In everyday life, individuals are expected to behave cheerfully and remain composed, but in a hospital, sadness and fatigue are natural. People move slowly through underground garages, stand silently in elevators, and stare blankly at closed doors. The comparison of these doors to a “prison wall” suggests both physical confinement and emotional heaviness. The poet then explains that he likes the hospital because it allows pathos, or deep emotional expression. He presents powerful images: a mother suffering from cancer who must decide how ...