Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Marge Piercy’s poem “Gasman Invites the Skyscrapers to Dance” offers a compelling exploration of urban desolation and the alienation of modern architecture. Through vivid imagery and personification, Piercy captures the loneliness of skyscrapers, juxtaposing their grandiosity with their emptiness after business hours. The poem delves into themes of isolation, the dichotomy between public and private spaces, and the impersonal nature of modern life.

The poem begins with an invitation to the skyscrapers, described as "Lonely skyscrapers, deserted tombs of business risen and gone home to the suburbs for the night." This line immediately sets the tone of abandonment and emptiness. The skyscrapers, once bustling with activity during the day, become "tombs" at night, devoid of life and energy. This stark transformation underscores the transient nature of human presence in urban spaces.

Piercy continues to emphasize the desolation with the image of elevators that are "forlorn as empty cereal boxes," and "marble paved vestibules and corridors" that "might as well be solid rock." The comparison of elevators to empty cereal boxes evokes a sense of uselessness and abandonment, while the marble corridors, often symbols of prestige and grandeur, are rendered meaningless in their emptiness. The luxurious materials that make up these spaces only highlight their lack of human warmth and activity.

The personification of the skyscrapers as "Beautiful lean shafts" that "nobody loves" introduces a sense of melancholy. Despite their architectural elegance, these structures lack the affection and life that homes possess. The absence of domestic activities—"nobody is cooking cabbage or instant coffee in your high rooms, nobody draws moustaches, nobody pisses on your walls"—further emphasizes the impersonal nature of these buildings. They are places of work, not of living, and their sterility becomes a symbol of urban isolation.

The poem then contrasts the skyscrapers’ sterile environment with a vivid image of what could be: "Even your toilet stalls have nothing to report about the flesh. You could be inhabited by blind white cavefish." This line suggests a complete detachment from human life and activity, likening the skyscrapers to caves inhabited by sightless creatures, emphasizing their lifelessness and disconnection from the human world.

The final lines, "Only the paper lives in its metal drawers humming like bees," introduce a faint hint of activity, albeit an impersonal one. The "paper" in "metal drawers" represents the bureaucratic and administrative functions that continue in these buildings, even in the absence of people. The comparison to "bees" suggests a mechanical, monotonous form of life that persists in these spaces, further highlighting the lack of genuine human presence and interaction.

Piercy's use of free verse allows for a fluid expression of these themes, with each image building upon the last to create a cohesive narrative of urban desolation. The poem's language is precise and evocative, capturing the cold, impersonal nature of the skyscrapers and their stark contrast to the warmth and chaos of human life.

In summary, “Gasman Invites the Skyscrapers to Dance” by Marge Piercy is a poignant meditation on the alienation and emptiness of modern urban architecture. Through vivid imagery and personification, Piercy explores the desolation of skyscrapers once the bustle of daily business subsides, highlighting the impersonal and lifeless nature of these grand structures. The poem underscores the dichotomy between the public and private realms, ultimately reflecting on the loneliness that can pervade even the most impressive feats of human engineering.

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