The Planners

The Planners- Boey Kim Cheng

1.  They plan. They build. All spaces are gridded,
2.  filled with permutations of possibilities.
3.  The buildings are in alignment with the roads
4.  which meet at desired points
5.  linked by bridges all hang
6.  in the grace of mathematics.
7.  They build and will not stop.
8.  Even the sea draws back
9.  and the skies surrender.
10. They erase the flaws,
11. the blemishes of the past, knock off
12. useless blocks with dental dexterity.
13. All gaps are plugged
14. with gleaming gold.
15. The country wears perfect rows
16. of shining teeth.
17. Anaesthesia, amnesia, hypnosis.
18. They have the means.
19. They have it all so it will not hurt,
20. so history is new again.
21. The piling will not stop.
22. The drilling goes right through
23. the fossils of last century.
24. But my heart would not bleed
25. poetry. Not a single drop
26. to stain the blueprint
27. of our past's tomorrow.

Piling- building foundations

Blueprint- architectural plan

Summary- Poet's discomfort at humanity's compulsive efforts to build infinite variations in the pursuit of a flawless ideal. 

Poetic Voice- Initially respective of planners but expressive criticism of their restless changes and adjustments to an already functioning society, implying that we lose part of our humanity with each change. Refers to the planners as "they", distancing the poet from the planners in an objective view without love or compassion. The frequent use of negatives elucidates the poet's disparity with the planners and cynicism towards their ambitions. Generally conservative and impartial throughout. 

Structure- The free verse reflects the poet's disinclination to the formulaic world that the planners are creating and the lack of creativity that has arisen as a result. 


Quote Analysis-

"Alignment...points linked"
Consistent order and mathematical society that is very functional but

"Gridded"
Suggests that there is only a confined space for creativity and even then it is limited by physical borders. This also restricts the idea of many "possibilities" and perhaps reflects the narrow mindedness of the planners.

"Permutations of possibilities"

The plosive alliteration draws attention to these words and the polysyllabic, technical language further causing the words to linger on the tongue, emphasizing the vast extent of opportunities which the planners may exploit. Daunting prospect of continual change and multiple futures and how the world is entirely in the control of the planners.

"Grace of mathematics"

Juxtaposition insinuating that maths and calculations are free even though they have self-imposed limits and possibilities."Grace" also connotes religious righteousness and splendour that contrasts with the mechanical nature of maths.

"Sea draws back and skies surrender"
Personifies nature as a sentient being in a position of fear and intimidation with "surrender" implying physical conflict and capitulation. Infers that planners are at war with nature and are winning which suggests that nothing can stop them. This also isolates the problem of environmental decadence and degeneration that has occurred as a result of the planners' work.

"Dental dexterity...gleaming gold...country wears perfect rows of shining teeth" 
Demonstrates artifice of the city. Medical terminology of "dental" highlights precision of the planners' work and the way in which they contort the world. "Gleaming" forces your mouth into a smile as you say it and further reinforces the sense of counterfeit and saccharinity of the planners' work. This is complimented by the alliteration of the jarring and guttural "g" sound. The country is personified with "wears" and the visual image of "shining teeth" associates itself with "dental" but enhances the image of perfectly level and aesthetic skyscrapers that have overrun the previously naturally-disposed countryside whilst also providing the country with animalistic qualities.

"Anaesthesia, amnesia, hypnosis"
The planners have control of pain, memory and freedom of choice. Another example of the planners' complex medical  abilities and powers over fundamental human capacities which dictate how people can think and act without room for protest or contamination from our naturally imperfect human dispositions.

"The drilling goes right through the fossils of the last century"
Declares that the planners are not only destroying the present and the future but also the past. "Fossils" provide the only physical link between the present and the past and by "drilling" and grounding them down to dust we are severing the origins of our culture and civilization whilst also making us forget mistakes that we have previously made, increasing the likelihood that we will make them again. In this way the planners become a perpetuating cycle of renewal that repeats itself without understanding why.

"My heart would not bleed poetry, not a single drop to stain the blueprint of our past's tomorrow"
Asserts that art cannot assimilate into this modern world. Imagery of blood evokes a sense of pain and lost love. There is no mention of the present and very much focused on this future of "tomorrow", perhaps suggesting that the planners are focused on the future rather than present needs and that is what has separated them from their human instincts. This ending corroborates the poet's conservative view of the planners' work, refusing to "stain" the apparent collective plans with his own individual and personal desires. This may imply that the planners have a large majority support which is unaware of the resultant gradual deterioration of humanity. "Our" suggests that the poet is considering the collective rather than his own personal preference  in the form of "my", reaffirming his conservatism and belief in majority rule. The oxymoron of "past's tomorrow" again implies that the planners are ignoring present needs and are perennially making changes and minute adjustments with the future in mind but, when these changes become of use, the planners will continue to rebuild society to the extent that the previous changes immediately become obsolete.