June 2, 2009

Portrait of a Machine-Louis Untermeyer

What nudity as beautiful as this
Obedient monster purring at this toil;
Those naked iron muscles dripping oil,
And the sure-fingered rods that never miss?
This long and shining flank of metal is
Magic that greasy labour cannot spoil;
While this vast engine that could rend the soil
Conceals its fury with a gentle hiss.

It does not vent its loathing, it does not turn
Upon its makers with destroying hate.
It bears a deeper malice; lives to earn
Its master's bread and laughs to see this great
Lord of the earth, who rules but cannot learn,
Become the slave of what his slaves create.

7 comments:

  1. "and laughs to see this great
    Lord of the earth, who rules but cannot learn,
    Become the slave of what his slaves create."
    Excellent.

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  2. for some reason this reminds me of a poem i found a while back: http://andreakristeen.blogspot.com/2006/10/conclusion-steve-turner.html

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  3. This has been a favorite of mine since high school. I have had it committed to memory since I was 14!

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  4. I have to do an assignment on this for school and i think it is a fantastic poem.

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  5. what is the analysis of this poem

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