Chivalry is Dead.
"When automobiles went by,/the dust hid the people's faces,/but we shouted 'Good day! Good day!/Fine day!' at the top of our voices."
- "Manners" by Elizabeth Bishop
I saw a few themes at work in the poem, "Manners". First of all, I think Bishop is trying to employ a man vs. nature theme. From the wagon, the passengers can not only interact with people, but also with nature, which can be seen when Willy climbs into the wagon with his big pet crow. The crow flies off, and the speaker is worried: "How would he know where to go?" But the crow answers when Willy whistles, and grandfather says the crow is a fine bird because he answers nicely when he is spoken to. However, in the next stanza, we are told what happens when automobiles go by: the dust hides the people's faces, and the passengers of the wagon shout to greet them. I get the impression that the passengers of the automobile are unable to interact with those of the wagon seat; thus, they cannot use their manners and answer at all, let alone nicely when spoken to. Not only can the automobile passengers not interact with people, but they cannot interact with nature. It is as if Bishop is attempting to tell us that with the advancement of technology will come the end of chivalry and the strain of nature. This can be seen in such trends as decreasing human interaction due to increased communication via text messaging and email, for example. Similarly, man continues to encroach on forests and other natural habitats to meet his ever increasing needs. No wonder the speaker worries where the crow will go.
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Rosalind Blair on Chivalry is Dead.: While reading this poem, I nev
While reading this poem, I never picked up on the theme that man does not care for nature and is constantly using it to fit his own needs. But yet, the people in the wagon seem to have more appriciation for nature, animals, and what is around them than the individuals in the car. I think that this shows how technology is affecting personal interactions with the world and others around us.
Also, people are always in a hurry, and never "stop to smell the roses". We are so used to receiving instant gratification that we never simply enjoy nature and the simple luxuries it has to offer.