The Poems of Margaret Atwood Symbols, Allegory and Motifs

The Poems of Margaret Atwood Symbols, Allegory and Motifs

Crow - “Crow Song”

The crow is representative of substantial optimism. In “Crow Song”, the crow sings, “I raised the banner/ which decreed Hope.” The crow is positive about life notwithstanding the decomposition of corn and anticipates that human beings would regard the clarion call of positivity.

Hesitation (A motif) - “Hesitations outside the Door”

In “Hesitations outside the Door” the speaker says, “The door is closed.” The closure of the door is credited to the speaker’s deceptions. The hesitation surmises that the deceptions have not been operative in unlocking the door for they are implausible.

Snow - “Carrying Food Home in Winter”

Snow in “Carrying Food Home in Winter” is a motif for forbidding, frosty weather. The speaker admits that the course of conveying food to his/her home is wearisome due to the snow that is omnipresent during winter.

Corpse-“Corpse Song”

The corpse depicts unalterable mortality for it is trapped in a world devoid of an exit. The corpse cannot elude its eventual destiny.

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