PLANNERS -

● Themes -
○ Bleak modernization
○ Man versus nature
○ The cost of urbanization

● Tone -
○ Bleak
○ Monotonous
○ Cold and unfeeling

● Devices -
○ Anaphora - they plan. they build.
○ Caesurae - the periods after plan and build
○ Alliteration - permutations and possibilities
○ Enjambment - in alignment - mathematics

○ Symbolism - gold symbolizes a country's wealth

○ Asyndeton - anesthesia, amnesia, hypnosis
○ Extended metaphor - dentistry
○ Anaphora - they have

○ Metaphor - blueprint, technical plan

● “The Planners” is a representation of the ever-continuous modernization that happens to

cities and faceless corporations destroying culturally and emotionally relevant buildings
in the name of urbanization.
● It is centered around an anonymous group referred to as “The Planners”, who are
described as one singular entity responsible for this destruction
● It uses anaphora in the first line of “they plan. They build”. This repetition of they
emphasizes the importance of their actions. Such simple tasks remain relevant and
cause so much change. Each individual step results in the loss of cultural heritage all for
modernization’s sake.
● Gridding refers to how they divide the city into uniform squares as if it is a simple
equation or problem to solve showing the lack of care they have towards their homeland
or for the people
● The caesura indicated by sudden periods gives the plan a methodical feeling. As if it is
steps to ensure accuracy and perfection. This shows the cold calculated nature of these
planners.
● The alliteration in permutations and possibilities shows the large number of ways they
can redding the future adding an ominous tone to the poem due to the power that this
unfeeling group has. It shows how they must always find the perfect option once again
showing their cold and calculated nature.
● Saying buildings are in alignment and streets intersect at desired points shows the
perfectionism and control this group has making it sound like a machine wishing for
uniformity.
● Saying that everything hangs in the grace of mathematics, shows they feel nothing to no
one only trusting in mathematics and carrying out construction for themselves. Their
perfectionism is rooted in mathematics making it the only thing worthwhile to them
● Then enjambment from lines 3-6 shows how their control spans ages over long periods
of time. All their creations are meant to withstand the passage of time and they must turn
everything to perfection. Their creations must be everywhere. Adding to the ominous
tone. It also emphasizes the grace of mathematics showing what it can do for these
cities and how it is used.
● Seas draw back and skies surrender - this sibilance personifies nature showing how it
cowers to the architectural might of the planners. It cannot do anything but watch as it is
being eroded in the name of construction. Surrender showcases giving up or fear as
does drawing back. It is as if they are at war with the planners.
● It shows the theme of humanity versus nature.

● The author states how the planners get rid of the blemishes of the past. This suggests
that they believe it is imperfect and in need of adjustment. Prioritizing modernization over
culture and heritage shows how they have no sentiment and are an emotionless entity
● The writer is alarmed with the “dental dexterity” the planners have removing imperfect or
useless blocks as if they were teeth to a dentist. Only scene as a pain or hindrance. This
metaphor greatly emphasizes the precision these people have and that they are fast
efficient and emotionless.
● All gaps are plugged with gleaming gold. This extends the metaphor saying that blocks
are replaced with visual marvels and wonders that they have conceived to avert the
people from losing places of cultural significance. Like rotten teeth replaced by gold
fillings.
● The repetition of the g sound however is guttaral as if someone is being choked or
gagged. It is painful and against their will showing planners do not care about what the
others think or who they may hurt.
● Gold symbolizes the country's wealth and prosperity and while what happens on the
surface is gleaming, what lies beneath is rotten and evil. There is corruption.
● The cost of all these luxuries is the country's soul and heritage.
● Asyndeton is present in “anesthesia, amnesia, hypnosis”. This line shows how the pain
of the citizens is numbed with anesthesia so that they do not dread losing these aspects
of their past. amnesia shows how over time generations foget their past and their culture
 is eroded by these planners only for them to be untouched in the process. Finally
hypnotized suggests that they become suggestable and easily controlled as if they are
being manipulated by the planners and losing any free will they have. The improvements
are distractions to the citizens from their heritage and they slowly losing their will.
● They have the means - the piling will not stop is a repetition of declarative lines. They
have it all suggests having these gifts from the planners will distract them from the pain
so that history is erased and rewritten by them. We see the villainous nature of these
planners as they subdue the masses to carry out their own motives. Without any
emotion, the people of this country unwittingly watch as their heritage is run down.
● Repetition of they suggests that piling and drilling won't stop as they continue to erode
the culture until there is no remnant of history left.
● Drill into fossils of the last century suggests that they harm nature even more and wish to
erase such a large amount of history from this country.
● This could be saying how urbanization requires fossil fuels that harm the earth

● At the very end of the poem, Boey Kim Cheng places himself in opposition to the
Planners’ grand design. What they stand for – bland efficiency, convenience, shallow
superficiality – he opposes.
● The sudden juxtaposition of the little word my with they is the poet using the personal
voice; this is how poets write when they present their own, personal viewpoint in a text.
● The most important image in the last verse, but my heart would not bleed poetry, is vivid
and shocking. ‘Blood’ is a universal symbol of somebody’s life force, something that the
anodyne city leeches out of the people who live there, and ‘blood’ can represent a range
of other ideas as well: a wake-up call or rally cry; an image of protest
● the risk and danger a person puts themselves in when they speak up against popular
opinion or governmental forces; a reminder of the violence against the natural world
inherent in the construction of our vast cities
● Planners abuse their power for emotionless development. The speaker feels there no
heart for this grand scheme. Metaphor of blueprint emphasizes planners forethought in
this scheme