‘Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass’ is a poem by Simon Armitage which considers the relationship between man made, physical objects, with nature and the natural world, specifically using the symbolism of a chainsaw to show man’s interaction. ‘Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass’ Key ThemesPower: There is extreme power exhibited by the chainsaw throughout the poem, with the potential of harm adding to the sense of power and brutality. The use of different sounds created through the language in the poem makes ‘Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass’ a very interesting which is notable in the anthology for its ease and enjoyability of reading.
‘Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass’ by Simon Armitage is an amusing depiction of one man’s violent, and doomed to fail, battle with nature. Armitage makes use of personification throughout this poem, using it to describe the chainsaw as a snarling dangerous animal, but also its victim, the pampas grass. ‘Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass’ by Simon Armitage is made up of eight stanzas of irregular lengths. It powers the entire narrative as the very animal, and sometimes human, seeming chainsaw goes up against the pampas grass. The fourth stanza of ‘Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass’ is only five lines long. The fifth stanza opens with a metaphor comparing the chainsaw to a sledgehammer and the pampas grass to a nut it opened. In the final stanza of ‘Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass,’ the speaker describes the anger, the chainsaw felt over being defeated.
The contemporary British poet Simon Armitage allowed his poem ‘Chainsaw versus the Pampas Grass’ to be published online on the Oxford Today site, so we hope he wouldn’t mind our offering a few words about this poem, by way of tentative analysis. What follows are some notes towards an analysis of ‘Chainsaw versus the Pampas Grass’, especially concerning the poem’s meaning, language, and principal themes. In summary, ‘Chainsaw versus the Pampas Grass’ is about a man taking a chainsaw and cutting down the pampas grass of South America. The chainsaw is ‘overkill’ where such a simple task is concerned: one doesn’t need to use an electric chainsaw to cut grass. Despite the chainsaw mowing down the grass with ease, the poem ends with a vision of the grass growing back, enduring despite the chainsaw’s best efforts to destroy it. Start with the title: ‘Chainsaw versus the Pampas Grass’ suggests a sort of match or game, as if the poem is describing a sporting match between the saw and the grass. ‘Chainsaw versus the Pampas Grass’, as this summary and analysis have attempted to show, is a poem that touches upon not only environmental themes but also issues of gender, colonialism, and class – power structures all, of course.
The pampas grass represents nature, which of course ultimately wins. The thrusting, posturing masculinity of powerful machinery – of which the poet seems rather nervous – ultimately loses, while the pampas grass has feminine-sounding ‘feathers’ and ‘plumes’. The metaphorical femininity of the pampas grass is expressed in its ‘plumes’ and ‘feathers’.
This free verse poem is about the constant battle between man and nature, and Simon Armitage has demonstrated so beautifully that man will never win, which is the sad and unavoidable truth. The difference between figurative and literal language here is very pertinent because Armitage has shown that it is the perpetrator that matters in a fight, not the weapon they use, implying that the fight between man and machinery is over because man has won. The man is trying everything to cut the pampas grass down, such as ‘lifted the fringe of the undergrowth, carved at the trunk’ and ‘ripped into pockets of dark, secret / warmth.
chainsaw versus the pampas grass analysis Related Question:
What is chainsaw versus the pampas grass about?
In summary, ‘Chainsaw versus the Pampas Grass’ is about a man (we assume the speaker is male) taking a chainsaw and cutting down the pampas grass of South America. The chainsaw is ‘overkill’ where such a simple task is concerned: one doesn’t need to use an electric chainsaw to cut grass.
How is power presented in chainsaw vs pampas grass?
‘Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass’ Key Themes Power: There is extreme power exhibited by the chainsaw throughout the poem, with the potential of harm adding to the sense of power and brutality. However, the grass also shows power albeit more subtly in that it is able to survive.
How is masculinity presented in chainsaw versus the pampas grass?
In conclusion, both poems centre around a female versus male contest. Through the use of the chainsaw and the gun we see masculinity being a passionate, angry power while the pampas grass and the speaker in “The Gun” express femininity as consistent and gentle.
What is the tone of chainsaw versus the pampas grass?
‘Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass’ was first published in the poet’s 2002 collection The Universal Home Doctor. Within this piece, Armitage delvers into themes of man versus nature, violence, and defeat. The tone is direct, but also at times humorous.