This is my personal interpretation- but I think that the modern reading you are implying was very much intended to be the context in which it was written. Braut

This is my personal interpretation- but I think that the modern reading you are implying was very much intended to be the context in which it was written. Brautigan's use of the tone of naive extreme optimism was intended to be ironic and terrifyingly dystopian. I'll cite the rest of the work in this same book posted here- none of his poems are shallow, naive, or very optimistic - especially with regard to technology and it's effect on the natural environment. I do think he intended to leave the reader wondering if he was serious or not.