The Poetry of Margaret Atwood

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes these two poems by Margaret Atwood explaining that, in the nine years between the time that these poems were written, Atwood's focus in her poetry shifted from the observance of nature and contemplation of its place in the lives of people to acceptance of the natural mysteries and their refusal to be categorized in human terms.

From the Paper:

"In "Night Poem" she uses a free verse form with no consistent meter throughout. The poem is thirty lines long, with four verses, each one expressing one complete thought. She begins with the words said by parents to their children through the ages: "There is nothing to be afraid of". The entire first verse is this thought, with the last two lines drawing us into the mind of the child from the mind of the parent. She replaces the father and the mother of the daytime with the "father and mother" of the night, Thunder and Rain."

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