The+Planners

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** The Planners ** ** Boey Kim Cheng ** ** The Poem ** They plan. They build. All spaces are gridded, filled with permutations of possibilities. The buildings are in alignment with the roads which meet at desired points linked by bridges all hang in the grace of mathematics. They build and will not stop. Even the sea draws back and the skies surrender.

They erase the flaws, the blemishes of the past, knock off useless blocks with dental dexterity. All gaps are plugged with gleaming gold. The country wears perfect rows of shining teeth. Anaesthesia, amnesia, hypnosis. They have the means. They have it all so it will not hurt, so history is new again. The piling will not stop. The drilling goes right through the fossils of last century.

But my heart would not bleed poetry. Not a single drop to stain the blueprint of our past’s tomorrow.

Go to the following site: [] and build a city. A game takes about 15 minutes or so. As you go think about the decisions you make about what to build in your city (farm land/power plants/tourism activities etc) and decide how much tax to charge. Your city will get upgraded as you grow. At the end you are scored on: · Popularity (how happy your citizens are) · Population · Environmental Impact · Security of Supply (avoiding blackouts!)
 * Introductory Activity**

Once you have finished, think about the following questions: - How important was it for you as creator of your city to have your citizens happy? - How important was it for you as creator of your city to have sustainable environmental policies with low pollution?




 * Questions for study/poem analysis**
 * What would your ideal city look like? List 10 priorities.
 * What job do city planners have? What sorts of things do you think they have to consider? List 10 things.
 * Explore the effects created by caesura and end-stopping in this poem.
 * Explore the image of teeth. What has Cheng used this extended metaphor to connect to city planning?
 * Make a list of all the words connected with harmony. Why is there this parallel?
 * What relationship with the city does the natural world appear to have?
 * What do the words ‘flaws’ and ‘blemishes’ suggest? Whose words are they? How do you think the poet feels about this?
 * What do //The Planners// appear to have the ‘power’ to do?
 * Comment on the use of the word ‘They’ to describe The Planners.
 * The use of the present simple creates what effect?
 * What ‘power’ do you think poetry has in the poem?
 * How would you characterise the tone of the poem: Sad / optimistic / disquieted / angry / nostalgic / resigned? Or a combination of these? Why?