In a Perfect World...

Richard Brautigan's poem "All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace" is about a world in which technology and mankind live together harmoniously. The poem is written in such a way that it is left up for interpretation. Some may view it as an anti-technology poem, but on the other hand it can be interpreted as advocating the increased usage of technology in our everyday lives. Brautigan effectively employs the literary device tone in such a way that the audience is left wondering what his stance on technology was. If he had a pro-technology perspective, there is definitely evidence to support that claim. The entire poem, if taken straightforward and literally, seems to advocate a world where man and artificial intelligence can live side by side as equals. Every stanza begins with the four words “I like to think,” and he goes on to describe how perfect such a world would be, like a utopia. He also uses beautiful words to describe this world, such as “mutually programming harmony like pure water touching clear sky,” “flowers with spinning blossoms,” and machines of loving grace.” A peaceful and tranquil world with these descriptions seems so inviting that hardly anyone would want to deny such a utopia.

On the other hand, if one pays close attention to the tone of the poem, there can be evidence to show that Brautigan was actually against this extreme advancement of technology. Right after he says “I like to think” in each stanza, it is immediately followed by phrases such as “and the sooner the better!”, “right now, please!”, and “it has to be!” These phrases are also all in parentheses, which seems to throw off the flow because the phrases feel like they are an aside of the poem. The exclamation points also make the statements seem very enthusiastic, to the point where they appear to be sarcastic. The sarcasm nullifies his “I like to think” statements and the audience begins to question the actual truth of every other line. His descriptions of this perfect utopia start to seem exaggerated intentionally in order to demonstrate his actual feelings that these utopian worlds are not possible.

I believe the most convincing view is that Brautigan was anti-technology. When the poem is read literally, it may appear that he is pro-technology. But the true meaning of any good poem can usually never be taken at face value—it’s not that easy. The sarcastic tone that can be found in the poem implies that he in fact does not believe everything that he is saying. At the end of the poem, he portrays the dangers of such a society when he says “and all watched over by machines of loving grace.” This seems to imply that if we were to come to the point where man and machine were equal, machines will begin watch over us and become superior to us. It seems like he is comparing such a role to that of a god.

Diving into the Wreck

Imagery

-book of myths

-camera

-knife-blade

-body-armor of black rubber

-absurd flippers

-grave and awkward mask

-ladder

-different colors of light/air

-the deep sea

-treasure

-shipwreck

-mermaid/merman

-half-destroyed instruments

I chose to focus on Rich’s poem “Diving into the Wreck” because it is embedded with themes that have applied to history and even continue into modern times. The poem is about a female adventurer on a quest to obtain knowledge. I believe the knowledge she seeks is about the relationship between the two sexes, a topic that has plagued our history and some may say still haunts us today to some extent. This adventurer begins her quest for knowledge with a book, a symbol for knowledge. She first reads this “book of myths” about the topic, and is curious to discover if these “myths” are actually facts. She prepares herself with the proper equipment for the trip and then she mentions a ladder, saying that “the ladder is always there”. I believe this piece of imagery defines the separation between the sexes, since ladders are used when two objects are of different heights. Relating the permanence of the ladder to the sexes, one gender is above the other, and that’s the way it has been and always will be. She travels down the ladder as the colors begin to change, turning from blue to green to black as she gets closer to a grim discovery. She is on a quest to find the truth, the “buried treasure” in the wreck, to understand how things may have been. She states that she has come for “the wreck and not the story of the wreck/ the thing itself and not the myth”. She needs to see for herself if the myths in fact hold any truth. She reaches her destination, and she finds everything in ruins. She describes the wreck as “ribs of the disaster” and the “evidence of damage/worn by salt and away into this threadbare beauty”. She realizes that she is in the right place, and  this is where one begins to see the subject matter of her desired knowledge. She calls herself both the mermaid with dark black hair and the merman in his armored body. She later says “I am she: I am he”. She embodies both sexes in order to demonstrate that the wreck was caused by the treatment of women in a patriarchal society. The source of the history—these myths—define the roles of men and women in society even to today. The poem ends with a reference back to the book of myths, but a book in which their names do not appear. The women’s movement has been all about reaching equality so that women can also have their names in history.

My Title

My title is a phrase that was spoken by someone very close to me. We were discussing literature when she looked at a peacock feather on her wall, then looked back to me and said "A feather is a feather... except when I'm reading." It immediately caught my attention. It was one of those moments where you say to yourself: "Wow, that sounds profound." Her passion for books surpasses that of any other person I know, so I thought it was one of those fancy phrases I just would not understand. But it actually came to me quickly, and I'm sure anyone who has had to read a book for literature class understands it too. This phrase represents one term-- symbolism. It doesn't just work with a feather, it can work with most things you can think of. Just look around and you will find that most things can symbolize something. In the real world, we think of these things as plainly as they appear. Rain is rain, the color red is the color red, a rose is a rose, a feather is a feather. But the beauty of literature is that it creates a different world where these things are not plain and simple. They become a mystery in themselves. One simple word can mean a thousand different things to many people, and they can all be right. You cannot read a good book without running into myriads of symbols, and you begin to gain a deeper appreciation for the work. Symbols become so fascinating that you being to realize that the author purposely embedded them into his or her work. The rain foreshadowed future events, the flag was red for a reason, it was not a coincidence that the only flower left was a rose, the feather was not there by chance. All these things truly made me realize that a story is not just a story, but a work of art. When you are reading, things are not always as they appear to be. Maybe that feather is not just a feather.