Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass

 Chainsaw allegory for ‘lad culture’ and particularly in the first three stanzas the way in which
masculine behaviour is in society, toxic masculinity. Chainsaw reflects idea as a battle
between genders, idea of how the two are fighting for dominance or equality (ambiguity).
Pampas grass extended metaphor for femininity or women, but also stereotyped women –
vanity, overly dependent, preened, image conscious women. All of these ideas about gender
are a play on stereotype – masculine and feminine view.
 Overtly colloquial language – fits in with idea of masculine stereotypes ‘knocked back a
quarter-pint’, binge drinking. Sensory and lyrical side to the stanza as well – assonance in
‘juices oozed’ ‘oil’ ‘joints’ ‘guide’ ‘dry’ – contrasting language that paints picture of
masculinity that is driven by alcohol and Male virility and sexuality, fed by anger ‘grinding its
teeth’, violence ‘swung nose-down from a hook’ – stereotypes explored through language.
Continues into stanza 2 and 3.
 “One last gulp”, powder from a keg – explosive power and aggression, “flicked the switch” –
Male explosiveness, ‘Gun the trigger’ – raw masculine power, aggression, destructive
imagery. Brawn. Adjectives very much within the stereotype of male toxicity, male domain.
 Fact that Armitage lingers over minutiae he describes. Everything characterised about
chainsaw has masculine stereotype represented. Armitage fully explores idea of
stereotype.
 Stanza 3: “Instant rage”, “perfect disregard”, “mood to tangle with cloth, or jewellery, or
hair” – aggressive for what are metaphors, essentially, for women. Predatory, in humane,
aggressive and sexualised “bloody desire”, “sweet tooth” for the ‘bones underneath’.
Stereotypes carnal desire of masculinity – alpha male ‘grand plan’.
 Whole heartedly explores the stereotype of the alpha male in its full toxic display.
 Ironically what it does is he compares man to machine. What should be human, natural, he
compares to machine – crafted, artificial, fake. Doesn’t allow for anything to be natural. No
nuances or subtleties between the two – doesn’t take into the account that humans are
complex beings and that not every man conforms to this stereotype.
 ‘Lifted it to the sun’ – arrogance, trophy, pinnacle, competition.
 Physicality, carnal desire, primitive stereotype but completely ignores anything that doesn’t
‘fit’ that part of the stereotype. Doesn’t allow for anything else.
 After stanza 3, long, expressive stanzas to male accolades and celebration of this stereotype.
We have 5 lines about women. Imbalance startling. Gender imbalance through the structure
and the fact that the lack of importance, attention given to the pampas grass – a nuisance,
irrelevant, not worth any time given to it, in relation to the time given to the chainsaw is
important in terms of poetic structure.
 Personification of pampas grass seen through the perspective of masculine eye (V
important!) “ludicrous feathers”, adjectives, “sunning itself, stealing the show” – all
personification is seen through the critical eye of masculine perspective. Have to understand
that the stereotype is portrayed of how men see women.
 Short stanza, critical personification and then “sunning itself” – v. Passive and inactive
compared to action, dominance and force of first 3 stanzas.
 Ironically inanimate in its personification, deals with much more concepts rather than
actions: ‘warmth and light’ as supposed to ‘bloody Desire’. Concepts much more tender and
emotive than aggressive and raw masculinity. Ironic – ‘twelve-foot spears’ potentiality for
fight and destruction, and possibly the knowledge that it needs to defend itself. Amongst its
‘footstools, cushions and tufts’ – triple of luxury and comfort, it knows that it positions itself
in a garden (microcosm of society) in which it needs to defend itself, be watchful and ready
to defend itself.
 Go back to poetic voice of the male speaker – he acknowledges that this is ‘overkill’ and
again sense of stereotyped, masculine show of dominance. Sense of how he must regain the
garden, social battleground. Verbs that grow and progress through this stanza – ‘a good pull
or shove’ ‘I touched the blur’ ‘dabbed at a stalk’ ‘docked’ ‘dismissed’, growing battle, builds
climactically builds. Alliterative dynamic verbs – dabbed, docked, dismissed – builds to
climax of final suggested rape scene.
 ‘This was a game’ – toxic view lacks caution, concern or feeling. Final part of stanza overly
sexualised references, ‘fringe of undergrowth, ‘carved at the trunk’, ‘dark, secret warmth’ –
suggestions of rape and genitalia. Aggressive, intrusive, violent and violating and
unnecessary. Implied rape in microcosm of garden of society, suggestion of how toxic male
behaviour renders female security vulnerable, puts female existence at risk.
 Continues – militaristic tone ‘severed’ ‘fell’ ‘torn’ ‘dead zone’ ‘cut’ ‘dug’ ‘prized’ ‘finished
things off’ ‘drove it down vertically’. Full of military charged language, sexualised language,
aggressive, abusive language. Sense of ‘overkill’ still. Everything relates to that fragment
from previous stanza – of how this was a sledgehammer taken to crack the nut. Irony, own
admission that he realises this is too much but continues doing it.
 Conjunction ‘but’ – change in the poem. ‘Blade became choked with soil or fouled with
weeds…’, defeated single sentence of ‘I left it at that’. Volta of sense of male impotence,
defeatist attitude, sense of what had become sliced or split had mended, female
regeneration, futility of violence, hope for the future – metaphors/references just like the
garden and pampas grass will grow, female resilience. Futility of stereotype of toxic
masculinity.
 ‘Like cutting at water or air with a knife’ – futility of gender battles and inequality. Social
issues that we have, this is ultimately the big argument that Armitage tackles. Trying to exert
dominance just because of a prejudice has no place in our society. Fragmented sentence
structure by the end of the stanza becomes much more defeatist, futile. Recognition that
what he is trying to achieve has actually no hope and no real sense of purpose.
 By the last 2 stanzas, other 5 line stanza about women and pampas grass. Another short
stanza. Armitage’s structure doesn’t offer a lot of stanza length for the pampas grass but
within those stanzas is enough to show the sense of confidence, resilience and legacy in the
pampas grass as a metaphor for women and equality and social change. New shoots and
seasonal cycle ‘by June’, sense of innate rebirth, life cycle – different imageries. This is a
battle that could rage on forever. Need to be prepared to keep facing these issues.
 Leaves the stanza about the pampas grass with beautiful metaphors about the legacy of
women – regal metaphors ‘new crown’, ‘riding high in its saddle’; ‘Corn in Egypt’ – historical
allusion how women have survived before with abundance of strength. Women can
continue.
 Passive one now is the speaker. “I looked on” – oxymoron ‘midday moon’, unnatural,
useless. He is the one out of place, the one that has disrupted the natural order. Nature
must be restored and render his violence as impotent.
 Armitage leaves us with contrast between the hurt male ego to work through its ‘man-made
dreams’, nature is resilient and perseveres. The man is impotent and imprisoned. Offers not
a solution, but a sense of continuation “I left it a year” temporal references. But this fight will
perhaps be different the next time? Small changes to society every time you fight this battle
there will be small changes. Society doesn’t change in big cataclysmic ways, but everyone
making small changes little and often.