The City Planners

• explore the ecological brink of collapse hinted at


  "smell of spilt oil"

  "future cracks in the plaster"

  the relentless pursuit of modernisation and perfection has led the earth close to ecological collapse and a point of no return, things we do are futile and useless
• social conformity


  "houses in pedantic rows"

  "same slant of avoidance to the hot sky"

  we all want to conform to society, everything is meticulously planned out, stifling creativity and innovation. adhering to the norms has become more important than individuality.
• the planners desperation to create order


  "each in their own private blizzard, guessing directions"

  "gradual as glaciers"

  they're so desperate to make order despite the inevitable destruction which stemmed from their actions in the first place. comparison to climate change highlights human arrogance, as we are causing this issue but not doing anything about it.
• the planner's futility towards trying to control nature


  "future cracks in the plaster"

  "tracing the panic of suburban order in a bland madness of snows"

  highlights the absurdity of trying to control and order nature, the planners are trying to conceal the individuality of nature, and pretend everything is perfect. they're so hidden away that they are unaware of the quirks of what they are designing on, and how impossible it is to overcome the force of nature
• urbanisation is impacting mental health


  "what offends us is the sanities"

  "as surprising as a bruise"

  the imperfections and injuries are all part of day-to-day life, its what makes us human. but in this suburban life, these are what makes you outcasted, and not fit in.
• what is the deeper meaning/personal response?

  society needs to stop trying to perfect everything and maintain order over everything, it impacts our sense of personal fulfillment and humanity, along with our environment and mental health. perfect order is creating societal rights and wrongs, only those conforming can fit in, and segregating those who don't. our differences and imperfections are what make us who we are. we are also paying too much attention to perfection that we dont realise how much we are hurting the natural world.
• key words and themes

  • decay
  • delusion
  • imperfection
  • artificiality
  • futility
  • conformity
  • despair
  • environmental collapse
  • hubris
• uneasiness of the perfection


  "too-fixed stare of the window"

  "sanitary trees"

  underlying sense of foreboding

  trees shouldn't be sanitary

  windows shouldn't be watching

  under this facade is lurking unsettling
• feeling of impending disaster


  "obliquely sliding"

  "same slant of avoidance to the hot sky"

  clearly avoiding reality, under all this perfection is the inevitability of destruction and collapse. "avoidant" suggests trying to distract them from the hot sky, perhaps a result of climate change
• planners are disconnected from reality


  "insane faces of political conspirators"

  "bland madness of snows"

  so disconnected from reality evokes sense of alienation. uneasy about authority and control and fear of consequences from this unchecked rapid planning.
• sibilance in lines 1-4

  hushed noises to try create a sense of comfort, but underlying its sinister and eery
• personification of trees

  assertive and confident, insulting the car for being different and standing out
• what about the oiland plastic

  dependence on cars and petrol --> climate change

  wastefullness of materials
• too fixed stare of windows

  seems lifeless and vacant, unlike homes built that are warm and welcoming, although being occupied, it seems soulless
• why free verse


  juxtaposes the rigidness of human control which is what the poem is criticizing
• why do stanzas get shorter

  • reference to glaciers melting
  • suburbs disconnect each other
• no rhyme scheme or meter


  allows the poem to unfold naturally - also juxtaposes the control and order