Summary of the poem.

The poem "The Planners" by Boey Kim Cheng describes how urban development is transforming the poet's surroundings in a calculated and relentless way. The planners carefully organize every space with precision, connecting buildings with bridges and designing everything perfectly. Their work never stops, and even nature, like the sea and the sky, seems to give way to their control.

The planners remove anything they see as flawed or outdated, erasing the past with great care, like a dentist fixing teeth. They fill every gap with artificial beauty, symbolized by "gleaming gold," making the city appear perfect but lifeless and artificial.

They use methods like anaesthesia, amnesia, and hypnosis to make the changes seem painless. They destroy the old to build something new, ignoring the value of history and memories. Even fossils of the past are drilled away in their pursuit of modernization.

In the end, the poet feels emotionally numb. He cannot express his feelings or write poetry about the loss of the old city. The rigid plans for the future leave no room for sentiment, and he feels powerless against the unstoppable wave of progress.

Stanza-wise Analysis of "The Planners" by Boey Kim Cheng

Stanza 1:

The poem begins by introducing "The Planners," who are systematically transforming the environment. They meticulously design the landscape, leaving no room for randomness. Phrases like "all spaces are gridded" and "permutations of possibilities" suggest a calculated and mathematical approach to urban development. The alignment of buildings, linked by bridges, reflects the precision and artificial perfection of their work. The planners seem unstoppable in their efforts, signified by "They build and will not stop."

This stanza sets the tone of admiration mixed with concern, as the poet acknowledges the technical prowess of the planners while hinting at the loss of organic, natural elements.

Stanza 2:

In this stanza, the poet highlights the planners' dominance over nature. Even the sea and sky, symbols of natural power and vastness, seem to surrender to their control. The planners erase "flaws" and "blemishes" of the past, emphasizing their obsession with perfection. The metaphor "knock off useless blocks with dental dexterity" compares their work to that of a dentist, meticulously fixing every imperfection. The phrase "plugged with gleaming gold" evokes an artificial and ostentatious image, suggesting that the planners prioritize aesthetics over authenticity.

This stanza deepens the critique by portraying the planners as forces erasing history and individuality in their pursuit of perfection.

Stanza 3:

The poet shifts to explore the psychological effects of modernization. Words like "anaesthesia," "amnesia," and "hypnosis" suggest a numbing and erasure of collective memory. The planners possess the "means" to make this transformation painless, erasing history and creating a sanitized, artificial future. The reference to "drilling... through the fossils of last century" symbolizes how modernization disregards and destroys the past to make way for the new.

Here, the poet mourns the loss of cultural heritage and identity, critiquing the planners' disregard for history in their relentless pursuit of progress.

Stanza 4:

In the final lines, the poet reflects on his emotional response to the changes around him. Despite witnessing the destruction of the past, his heart "would not bleed poetry," symbolizing emotional numbness. The phrase "not a single drop to stain the blueprint of our past's tomorrow" conveys a sense of resignation, as the poet feels powerless to resist or lament effectively. The blueprint represents the rigid, inescapable plans for the future, which leave no space for sentiment or individuality.

This stanza captures the poet’s despair and disconnection, emphasizing the dehumanizing effects of relentless modernization.

The Themes of the poem:

1. Modernization and Perfection: The poem critiques the obsession with flawless urban development at the cost of history, culture, and individuality.

2. Loss of Heritage: The planners erase the past, replacing it with artificial structures, symbolizing the loss of identity and connection to roots.

3. Dehumanization: The systematic transformation numbs emotions and erases humanity, leaving people detached from their surroundings.

4. Resistance and Resignation: The poet expresses a muted resistance to modernization but ultimately feels powerless against its inevitability.

The free verse form complements the poem's message by allowing the poet to express his feelings without constraints, mirroring the planners' unconstrained modernization efforts.

Appreciation of the poem

The poem "The Planners" is penned by Singapore-born Australian Poet Boey Kim Cheng. The poet expresses profound sadness witnessing the natural destruction caused by modernization.

The poem has strange stanza structure three stanza of different size, first has nine lines, second has ten and the last stanza consists of only four lines. The has the universal appeal as it's applicable to any other city in the world which has undergone the modernization.

As the poem is written in free verse, it lacks rhyming words. However, Boey Kim Cheng employs various figures of speech, including alliteration, paradox, oxymoron, metaphor, and personification, to enhance its appeal.

The central theme of the poem revolves around modernization and the detrimental impact it has on nature. The poet illustrates the insatiable greed for modernization, resulting in the replacement of natural environments with concrete jungles. He critiques the bureaucrats responsible for planning such construction projects, highlighting their disregard for biodiversity and the loss of originality.

The language of the poem is both appealing and accessible. Boey Kim Cheng utilizes repetition to evoke emotions among readers, and although the language is figurative, it remains easy to understand.

Ultimately, the poem serves as a critique of modernism, emphasizing the need to preserve our heritage in the face of progress. It delivers a poignant message urging us to safeguard our cultural and natural heritage at all costs.

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