The Meaning Behind Machines of Loving Grace

Brautigan’s Poem, “All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace” has a negative tone and message. In the beginning of each stanza are words in parentheses that show the sarcasm used. This implies that the follow messages after every stanza are false showing that Brautigan is against technology. The message in the parentheses are enough to show what the poet really means through his use of sarcastic demands such as “right now, please!”, “it has to be!”, and “the sooner the better!” Both the exclamation marks and the parentheses interrupt the flow of the poem making them seem like outcasts that do not belong to begin with. I believe that although this poem may seem harmless, I see it as a warning that technology would soon take over.

This poem demonstrates qualities of pro-technology. There are several scenes where it shows how nature and technology can coexist harmoniously. The line “where deer stroll peacefully past computers,” show how naturally both can exist in each other’s presence without disturbance. This may be symbolic for the fact that technology can be beneficial to nature and thus create some kind of utopia. It would be a positive change that even nature would learn to cope with it.

I believe that even though this poem can also be seen as pro-technology, I see it more as anti-technology by the way this was initially written. Although it may be a good thing that “we are free of our labors,” the lines that say we can return “to our mammal brothers and sisters” imply that we are savages and technology may surpass us. The lines, “programming harmony,” sound as though harmony does not exist and that we have to program it. If computers were to program harmony, then it would seem pretentious. Computers do not have feelings and therefore it is highly impossible for it to program harmony or any other natural state of ease. The title “All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace” sounds odd in a way where it seems like the machines are the all mighty and powerful source. The part where it says “All Watched Over By Machines” made it seem as though the machines are Gods that can see our every move. This is scary because that would mean that we live in a world without privacy.