"February" by Margaret Atwood

# 6

Atwood's poem has a central purpose posed around the despair of February. The speaker dislikes February as it is the month "with a skewered heart in the centre" which implies the harsh image of an arrow through a heart. Valentine's day falls in February and for those of us who don't have someone to share it with, it's one of the most annoying and unimportant days of the year; I completely agree with the speaker about the despair part!

February is all about love (and sex lines 19-24); the speaker is obviously dealing with heartbreak as the cat is her only companion. The speaker tries to stay away from all of the love by staying in bed under the covers away from the world. All winter is good for according to a pessimistic speaker is "to eat fat and watch hockey." Despite the negativity, the speaker comes to terms with the fact that February is a difficult month to get through at the end of the poem. The resolution: get out of bed, go find somebody, and find the optimism to get through!