Those of us northerners, who have read Margaret Atwood’s “February”, can easily understand what is taking place.  “February” is a poem about an individual who struggles to cope with the winter in February.  Seems as if the individual takes his frustration out on his pet cat in the poem.  Readers immediately can sense the negativity of the poem by its opening.  “Winter. Time to eat fat and watch hockey” (Atwood 693) Atwood writes to show the direction of the poem.

The cat in the poem is some what of a symbol in a sense to the fact that it is comparable to average people in the world.  Atwood states that a tomcat has been spraying the “front door, declaring war” (693) of the individual of the poem.  This example shows us the similarity that the cat and people of the world carry.  Seems as though there are always different nations declaring war past and present. 

I personally can relate to what the poem expresses because I have felt the cold and miserable winters of February.  During this time of the season as Atwood indicates, everyone seems to hibernate and eat.  In fact, the average person may even gain ten to fifty pounds of weight from depression and boredom in the month of February alone.  When “the windchill factor hits thirty below, and pollution pours out of our chimneys to keep us warm” (693), that’s when most are feeling at their lowest points.

I personally feel psychologically that the fact the sun is not shining as much and the days are gloomy, people have no choice but to feel depressed.  When one enjoys gloomy and cold days I feel this is only a sign of depression.  Atwood writes that the cat jumps on the individual’s head to check to see if he’s dead.  A clear sign in the poem that the guy does not enjoy winter, let alone February. 

In conclusion, “February” is a poem that I believe pinpoints a story of one who lives in a cold region.  Those who have never lived in the northern part of the country may not relate as easy because they have not been through a similar situation.  I too have thought “dire thoughts, and lust for French fries with a splash of vinegar” (693) from time to time growing up.  The moral to this story however is exactly what Margaret Atwood states, and that is – “February, month of despair, with a skewered heart in the centre.” (693)

                                                Work Cited

Atwood, Margaret. “February.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Myers. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. 693