To Be of Use by Marge Piercy

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Words like “muck,” “mud,” “dust” and “ox” emphasize physical labor, and they make us feel like we are in the fields “pass*ing+ the bags along” (14). These words smack of hard, necessary work. But these words are not meant to implore us to perform only physical labor. Because the author herself is a poet, we come to understand that such words are tools meant to be taken figuratively, not literally. While some people might enjoy wielding sickles in the grass, others might enjoy wielding pens. The fact that the author uses such sensory language yet in contrast makes her living as a writer reinforces the point that we all have different inclinations and purposes. However, no matter our separate and individual inclinations and purposes we should all strive to be of common use. In conclusion, in the poem “To Be of Use” the author Marge Piercy conveys the message that we should each find our distinct purpose and we should all be of use. Through the author’s use of figurative language, especially personification; by way of the first-person point of view; and with sensory words like “muck” and “mud,” the author’s message is driven home like a nail.