ICSE Class 9 · English · Treasure Chest
A Work of Artifice
Chapter summary, hard words and model exam answers for ICSE Class 9 English.
Free online summary and notes for Work (ICSE Class 9 English). Read it here, no PDF download needed.
About the author
Marge Piercy (1970). Feminist poem using a bonsai tree - pruned to nine inches though it could grow eighty feet - as an extended metaphor for how patriarchy limits women's growth.
Summary
A bonsai in an attractive pot could have grown eighty feet on a mountainside until lightning split it.
A bonsai in an attractive pot could have grown eighty feet on a mountainside until lightning split it.
But the gardener carefully prunes it daily to nine inches - calculated control.
But the gardener carefully prunes it daily to nine inches - calculated control.
He croons that it is natural to be small, cozy, domestic, weak - and lucky to have a pot.
He croons that it is natural to be small, cozy, domestic, weak - and lucky to have a pot.
To stunt growth you must begin very early - like binding feet or curling hair.
To stunt growth you must begin very early - like binding feet or curling hair.
The tree stands for women shaped to fit domestic roles and beauty standards.
The tree stands for women shaped to fit domestic roles and beauty standards.
Men limit women's growth yet still want their comfort and admiration.
Men limit women's growth yet still want their comfort and admiration.
Hard words & meanings
| bonsai | miniature potted tree |
| pruned | cut back branches |
| patriarchy | male-dominated society |
| irony | opposite of what is said |
Model exam answers, grammar & audio
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