The Planners - Boey Kim Cheng Flashcards
How many stanzas are in The City Planners?
3 stanzas.
What is the major themes in The City Planners?
Order, Control and Environmental destruction.
What effect do the short sentences ‘They plan. They build.’ create?
They show the quick, monotonous, and repetitive nature of the planning process.
What does the word ‘gridded’ suggest in line 2?
Mathematical precision in the layout of spaces.
What does the phrase ‘permutations of possibilities’ imply?
That variation is limited and controlled; different possibilities are still confined within a set structure.
What does ‘buildings are in alignment with the roads’ show?
Everything is constructed to be perfectly orderly and precise.
What is the significance of ‘roads meet at desired points’?
It reflects the control and intentions of the Planners over the city’s layout.
What do the ‘bridges’ symbolise in this stanza?
Connection, change, and the continuation of this planned structure.
What does the phrase ‘grace of mathematics’ suggest?
Mathematics is idolised; it is seen as a divine force behind the planning.
What shift occurs with the phrase ‘They build and will not stop’?
A negative tone begins, showing the relentless and blind pursuit of perfection.
What do the final lines ‘the sea draws back and the skies surrender’ suggest?
Nature is being repressed and defeated by human construction.
What extended metaphor is used in Stanza 2?
The Planners’ actions are compared to a dentist’s work, highlighting their clinical, emotionless approach.
What is implied by the phrase ‘erase the flaws’?
The Planners’ unnatural desire to eliminate all imperfections of nature.
What do the ‘blemishes of the past’ refer to?
The history and legacy of previous generations, which the Planners wish to erase.
How does the phrase ‘knock off useless blocks’ characterize the Planners?
It portrays their actions as crude and unsophisticated, despite their pursuit of perfection.
What does ‘dental dexterity’ imply?
The precision with which the Planners execute their work, using the metaphor of a dentist.
How is ‘gold’ used in the metaphor of ‘gaps are plugged with gleaming gold’?
It represents the artificial perfection created by the Planners, covering up nature’s flaws.
What does the phrase ‘shining teeth’ symbolize in this stanza?
The rows of houses, which are depicted as perfect but superficial, like a mouth full of gleaming teeth.
What do ‘Anaesthesia, amnesia, hypnosis’ signify about the Planners?
The Planners use manipulative and controlling tactics to numb, erase memory, and influence people’s thoughts.
What is the significance of the phrase ‘They have the means. / They have it all so it will not hurt’?
It emphasizes the Planners’ power and authority, suggesting they can control and manipulate without causing pain.
What does the oxymoron ‘history is new again’ suggest about the Planners’ intentions?
The Planners aim to erase history and replace it with a new, artificial version of the world.
How does ‘The drilling goes right through / the fossils of last century’ tie back to the dental metaphor?
It emphasizes the Planners’ desire to obliterate the past, as if drilling through the remains of history to create a new, perfect world.
What is ironic about the speaker’s statement, “my heart would not bleed / poetry”?
The speaker, who is writing poetry about the Planners, claims they would not write poetry about them, creating irony.
What does “stain the blueprint” imply in the context of the poem?
It suggests that poetry would disrupt or negatively affect the Planners’ perfect vision for the future.
