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.