ENG 3 Jan 14 Homework

ENG 3 Jan 14 Homework

Richard Brautigan’s poem “All watched over by machines of loving grace” is against technology. The three stanzas start with “I like to think…” followed by little remarks in parenthesis gives the poem a satirical tone. Brautigan uses this tone to give the sense of things seeming to be too good to be true. According to the poem machines have been given the power equivalent to a God in which is signified through the use of the word “grace.” Grace has been defined as a blessing to which a higher power gives favor to an inferior being. This would revert the human society to a simpler state of living in which the machines possess all control. On another note, being “free of our labors” and living in “harmony” is too good to be true. Machines cannot be programmed with love and if so, some one would still need to take care of the machines. If the machines fell then the society would also fall if no one were there to watch over the machines.

“All watched over by machines of loving grace” by Richard Brautigan is a poem of tranquility and peace. Most, if not all, of the imagery presented in the poem would be found in a state of utopia. In a perfect world where nothing goes awry, everyone is free of labors and the people have the liberty to “[Return] to our mammal brother and sisters.” People would be tended to by “machines of loving grace” freeing all people of their troubles. The tone of tranquility and the sense of all troubles being relieved from technological advancements produces a pro-technology message. This would be the ultimate goal set by humanity for machines.

The anti-technology interpretation is more convincing because when things seem to good to be true, they most commonly are. A utopian world where everything lives in harmony has yet to exist. The only way for machines to be capable of “watch[ing] over” people would be to have an artificial intelligence as to adapt to the changing world. However something that has the capability to think on its own would not be content with being a slave. Even if the machines did have artificial intelligence, someone would have to take care of the machine implying that humans will always be the dominant species. This person could possibly be bitter that he is not free of his labors or realize he has the power to control society. Eventually the utopia would collapse from a variety of reasons. The poem “All watched over by machines of loving grace” is mocking the thought of a utopian society and gives the impression of foreshadowing the imminent collapse of a utopia.