Please Hold by Ciaran O'Driscoll

Analysis of the Title

The title "Please Hold" immediately evokes the frustrating experience of being placed on hold during a phone call. It suggests the poem will explore themes of waiting, frustration, and the impersonal nature of modern technology. The title also hints at the idea of being suspended in time, unable to move forward or achieve one's goals.

Structure and Form

Form, Meter, and Rhyme

• The poem is written in free verse, consisting of two stanzas with a total of 52 lines. The first stanza is long and detailed, reflecting the drawn-out nature of the speaker's frustration, while the second stanza is brief and to the point.
• There is no consistent rhyme scheme or meter, which contributes to the poem's conversational tone and mirrors the disjointed, monotonous experience of interacting with automated systems.
• The repetition of phrases and words throughout the poem enhances the sense of monotony and frustration, echoing the repetitive and unhelpful responses of the automated system.

Speaker

• The speaker is a frustrated individual attempting to navigate an automated phone system. The tone is one of increasing exasperation and helplessness, reflecting the speaker's growing frustration with the impersonal nature of modern technology.
• The speaker's wife serves as a resigned, almost robotic voice of reason, repeatedly stating, "This is the future," suggesting an acceptance of the impersonal and dehumanizing nature of technology.

Setting

• The setting is the speaker's presence, on a phone call with an automated system. The poem also touches on a broader, more abstract setting: the "future," which the wife claims is indistinguishable from the present, indicating a world dominated by impersonal technology.
• The setting also includes the psychological space of frustration and alienation, as the speaker grapples with the dehumanizing effects of technology.

Poetic Devices

Repetition

• Repetition is a key device in the poem, used to emphasize the monotony and frustration of dealing with automated systems. The repeated phrases "Please hold," "Wonderful," and "This is the future" create a sense of inescapable tedium.
• The repetition also highlights the disconnect between the human experience and the robotic responses of the automated system.

Satire

• The poem employs satire to critique modern technology and its impact on human interaction. The overly enthusiastic responses of the robot, such as "Wonderful" and "Great," are contrasted with the speaker's frustration, underscoring the absurdity of the situation.
• The satirical tone also serves to question the effectiveness and humanity of such systems, as the speaker feels increasingly dehumanized by the impersonal technology.

Irony

• There is a strong sense of irony throughout the poem, particularly in the robot's responses and the wife's resigned acceptance of the situation. The robot's claim that the call is "free of charge" is met with the speaker's retort that they are indeed paying for it, highlighting the disconnect between the automated system and the human experience.
• The final lines of the poem, "Please hold. Please grow old. Please grow cold," are a bitterly ironic commentary on the way technology can waste time and life.

Key Themes

The Frustrations of Modern Technology

• The poem explores the frustrations of dealing with automated systems that offer no real help or human interaction. This theme is evident throughout the poem, as the speaker struggles to navigate the system and feels increasingly powerless.
• This theme is underscored by the repetition of phrases like "Please hold" and "This is the future," which suggest a sense of inevitability and resignation in the face of technological dominance.

Dehumanization

• The poem also examines how modern technology can dehumanize individuals, reducing them to mere numbers in a system. The speaker's experience with the robot highlights the lack of personal connection and the alienation that can result from relying on technology for human needs.
• The robot's mechanical responses and the wife's resigned acceptance of the situation suggest that the future is one where human emotions and needs are increasingly disregarded.

Line by Line Analysis

Lines 1-6

This is the future, my wife says.

We are already there, and it's the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I'm talking to a robot on the phone.

The robot is giving me countless options,

none of which answer to my needs.

"This is the future, my wife says."

• The poem begins with the wife's declaration, setting a tone of resigned acceptance of modern technology.
• The phrase introduces the theme of inevitability and the loss of human connection in the technological future.

"We are already there, and it's the same as the present. Your future, here, she says."

• The wife's repetition emphasizes the stagnation of time and progress; despite technological advances, nothing has fundamentally changed for the better.

"And I'm talking to a robot on the phone."

• The speaker's interaction with a robot highlights the impersonal nature of modern technology.
• The robot symbolizes the dehumanization and alienation experienced by the speaker.

"The robot is giving me countless options, none of which answer to my needs."

• The irony of having "countless options" that do not meet any actual needs emphasizes the inefficacy of the system.
• This line captures the frustration and futility of dealing with automated systems that lack real human understanding.

Lines 7-12

Wonderful, says the robot

when I give him my telephone number.

And Great, says the robot

when I give him my account number.

I have a wonderful telephone number

and a great account number,

"Wonderful, says the robot when I give him my telephone number."

• The robot's exaggerated enthusiasm contrasts sharply with the speaker's frustration, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.

"And Great, says the robot when I give him my account number."

• The repetition of "Great" and "Wonderful" underscores the robotic, scripted nature of the interaction, further alienating the speaker.

"I have a wonderful telephone number and a great account number,"

• The speaker's sarcastic repetition of the robot's words reflects their growing irritation and the emptiness of the robot's responses.

Lines 13-17

but I can find nothing to meet my needs

on the telephone, and into my account

(which is really the robot's account)

goes money, my money, to pay for nothing.

I'm paying a robot for doing nothing.

"but I can find nothing to meet my needs on the telephone,"

• The speaker's frustration escalates as they realize that none of the options provided are helpful, highlighting the inefficacy of automated systems.

"and into my account (which is really the robot's account) goes money, my money, to pay for nothing."

• The speaker feels that they are being exploited by the system, as their money goes into an account that benefits the robot, not themselves.

"I'm paying a robot for doing nothing."

• This line emphasizes the futility of the entire interaction, with the speaker feeling powerless and exploited by the system.

Lines 18-23

This call is free of charge, says the mind-reading robot.

Yes but I'm paying for it, I shout,

out of my wonderful account

into my great telephone bill.

Wonderful, says the robot.

And my wife says, This is the future.

"This call is free of charge, says the mind-reading robot."

• The robot's claim that the call is free is ironic, as the speaker is paying for it in more ways than one.

"Yes but I'm paying for it, I shout, out of my wonderful account into my great telephone bill."

• The speaker's frustration reaches a peak as they confront the robot with the reality of the situation, only to be met with the same empty responses.

"Wonderful, says the robot. And my wife says, This is the future."

• The robot's continued enthusiasm is juxtaposed with the wife's resigned acceptance, reinforcing the poem's theme of dehumanization and alienation.

Lines 24-29

I'm sorry, I don't understand, says the robot.

Please say Yes or No.

Or you can say Repeat or Menu.

You can say Yes, No, Repeat or Menu,

Or you can say Agent if you'd like to talk

to someone real, who is just as robotic.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand, says the robot. Please say Yes or No."

• The robot's limited understanding and options highlight the constraints of automated systems, which fail to address the speaker's needs.

"Or you can say Repeat or Menu. You can say Yes, No, Repeat or Menu,"

• The repetition of these limited options emphasizes the lack of real choice available to the speaker, adding to their frustration.

"Or you can say Agent if you'd like to talk to someone real, who is just as robotic."

• The final line underscores the dehumanization present even in human interactions, as the speaker expects the same robotic responses from an actual person.

Lines 30-36

I scream Agent! and am cut off,

and my wife says, This is the future.

We are already there and it's the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I'm talking to a robot on the phone,

and he is giving me no options

in the guise of countless alternatives.

"I scream Agent! and am cut off,"

• The speaker's desperation peaks as they shout for a human agent, only to be disconnected, reflecting the ultimate failure of the system.

"and my wife says, This is the future. We are already there and it's the same as the present."

• The wife's repeated statement reinforces the poem's theme of technological stagnation and the lack of progress in improving human experiences.

"And I'm talking to a robot on the phone, and he is giving me no options in the guise of countless alternatives."

• The irony of "countless alternatives" that offer no real solutions highlights the emptiness and inefficacy of the system, leaving the speaker trapped in a loop of frustration.

Lines 37-40

We appreciate your patience. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine fucking Kleine Nachtmusik.

"We appreciate your patience. Please hold."

• The robot's polite but meaningless acknowledgement of the speaker's patience contrasts sharply with the speaker's growing impatience.

"Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold."

• The repetition of the classical piece "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" as the music becomes grating and monotonous, symbolises the disconnect between the automated system and the speaker's frustration.

"Eine fucking Kleine Nachtmusik."

• The speaker's insertion of profanity into the title reflects their peak frustration and anger at the situation, highlighting the absurdity of the experience.

Lines 41-45

And the robot transfers me to himself.

Your call is important to us, he says.

And my translator says, This means

your call is not important to them.

And my wife says, This is the future.

"And the robot transfers me to himself."

• The speaker's frustration is compounded as the robot loops them back into the system, preventing any progress.

"Your call is important to us, he says. And my translator says, This means your call is not important to them."

• The robot's scripted assurance is exposed as meaningless by the speaker's internal translator, who reveals the true indifference of the system.

"And my wife says, This is the future."

• The repetition of this line underscores the inevitability of the situation, as the speaker is forced to accept the dehumanizing nature of modern technology.

Lines 46-52

And my translator says, Please hold

means that, for all your accomplishments,

the only way you can now meet your needs

is by looting. Wonderful, says the robot

Please hold. Please grow old. Please grow cold.

Please do what you're told. Grow old. Grow cold.

This is the future. Please hold.

"And my translator says, Please hold means that, for all your accomplishments, the only way you can now meet your needs is by looting."

• The speaker's internal translator cynically interprets "Please hold" as a sign that the system has failed them, suggesting that only drastic, rebellious actions will achieve anything.

"Wonderful, says the robot Please hold."

• The robot's hollow response juxtaposed with the speaker's frustration highlights the disconnect between the automated system and the human experience.

"Please hold. Please grow old. Please grow cold."

• The repetition of "Please hold" alongside instructions to "grow old" and "grow cold" symbolizes the dehumanizing effects of technology, which waste time and life.

"Please do what you're told. Grow old. Grow cold. This is the future. Please hold."

• The final lines of the poem underscore the bleak, unchanging reality that the speaker faces, where compliance with the system leads only to ageing and death without achieving anything meaningful.