Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Secretary Chant" is a poem by Marge Piercy, first published in 1973. It is a feminist poem that critiques the role of women as secretaries in a male-dominated corporate world.

Explanation:

The poem is written in the form of a first-person monologue from the perspective of a female secretary. The speaker describes herself as a machine, an object that exists solely to serve her male boss. She is overworked and underappreciated, and her life is consumed by the demands of her job. The poem highlights the dehumanizing nature of corporate work and the toll it takes on those who are forced to live within its constraints.

Poetic Elements:

• Form: Free verse
• Tone: Critical, frustrated, and bleak
• Imagery: The speaker describes herself as a machine, with various parts of her body compared to office supplies and furniture, such as her head becoming a file cabinet and her fingers turning into typewriter keys.
• Symbolism: The poem uses the symbolism of a secretary to represent the struggles of women in the workforce, particularly in male-dominated industries.
• Irony: The speaker's constant refrain of "I am a secretary" serves to underscore the absurdity of her situation and her role as a cog in the corporate machine.

Conclusion:

"The Secretary Chant" is a powerful critique of the dehumanizing nature of corporate work and the toll it takes on those who are forced to live within its constraints. Through the use of striking imagery and symbolism, Piercy highlights the struggles of women in the workforce, particularly in male-dominated industries.

Poem Snippet:

"I have become an expert

in love.

I have become an expert

in loneliness.

I have become an expert

in emptiness."