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Subject: A person is just waking up because their cat has jumped on their head and is processing the ideals of the world around them.
Argument: This poem argues that the world is full of contradictions, especially in life and death.
DENOTATIONS:
One of the least descriptive words, but the most profound word within Margaret Atwood’s poem “February”, is the very last word: “spring” (line 34). Although this word’s meaning seems quite plain and simple, the truth is that there is more to “spring” than meets the eye. When looking more critically at the word, “spring” not only is a season within a year, it also means to produce, bring forth (OED, spring, v.1 4 b). When approaching “spring” from this perspective, “Get rid of death. Celebrate increase. Make it spring” (34) meant something completely different. Instead of reading the line at face value, the poem becomes much deeper. With more research, the word “spring” also means a noose (OED, spring, n3), a means of death. So something that means the production of life also means a way to death. This contradicts “Get rid of death” (34). If the line says to end death, then why does the last word also mean a way of death? When going back over the poem, little contradictions much like this one are present throughout.
Another curious word is “increase” (34). The way it is used is unusual: “Celebrate increase” (34). How does one celebrate an increase? In order to answer that question, the definition of “increase” must be known. The obvious definition is the process of becoming greater (OED, increase, n.1 a). The more surprising meaning of “increase” is the multiplication of a family or race of man or animal; procreation, breeding (OED, increase, n.2 b). After obtaining that knowledge, the contradiction from line 34 becomes even greater. In the center of this contradiction is a celebration of procreation. The only idea that is completely reinforced is the idea of “killing” death (OED, rid, v.6...