A Work Of Artifice

Like many of Piercy’s poems, “A Work of Artifice” is written in accessible language and free verse. The lines are enjambed or consist of run-on thoughts flowing into each other, conveying the urgency of the message and themes. Piercy’s poetry tends to eschew too many stylistic devices and flourishes, using just a few central metaphors to convey its strong themes, as can be seen in the case of the bonsai tree’s extended metaphor in “A Work of Artifice.” Her poetry also has a pared-down quality to it, as if she is doing away with any kind of superfluous detail; hence, its reliance on short sentences and fragmented language.

However, the accessibility of Piercy's style should not be confused with simplicity. Piercy’s poems are deliberately written in accessible verse because she considers poetry a “communal activity,” as she has stated in interview. By this, it is clear she conceives of poetry as a spoken or oral medium meant to be shared. Further, Pierce’s poetic style is closely linked to her ideas about literature as activism. Her writing is often propelled by strong feminist themes and the subject of social inequality, as can be seen in her other poems, including “Barbie Doll” (1971) and “The Secretary Chant” (1973).

In terms of style, Piercy does not align with any literary school. She can be called a postmodernist, both because her works do not follow rules of form, and because she aims to take down existing power structures. However, Piercy counts American poets Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Adrienne Rich, and feminist writer Simone Beauvoir as her major literary influences. Thus, Piercy is firmly a part of both the American literary tradition and the feminist canon. Piercy’s work is also influenced by her Jewish heritage and the primacy of the spoken word. Like Margaret Atwood and other female contemporaries, Piercy writes across literary genres—from poetry to novels, plays, and essays. Her experiments across genres inform each other, creating a unique synergy.