Poem: The Moment by Margaret Atwood

THE POEM

The moment when, after many years
of hard work and a long voyage
you stand in the centre of your room,
house, half-acre, square mile, island, country,
knowing at last how you got there,
and say, I own this,

is the same moment when the trees unloose
their soft arms from around you,
the birds take back their language,
the cliffs fissure and collapse,
the air moves back from you like a wave
and you can't breathe.

No, they whisper. You own nothing.
You were a visitor, time after time
climbing the hill, planting the flag, proclaiming.
We never belonged to you.
You never found us.
It was always the other way round. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Margaret Eleanor Atwood born on November 18, 1939, in Ottawa, Canada.  Margaret’s first published work was a book of poetry collection which is titled, The Circle Game. It was published on 1966 which won the Governor-General’s Award. Her novel, The Edible Woman, that was published on 1969 was very controversial and it focuses on women’s issues. In 2006, Margaret published new books which is: The Tent, Bashful Bob and Doleful Dorinda, and Moral Disorder. Margaret’s works have been translated into 30 languages. She studied at the University of Toronto and Radcliffe College, becoming a lecturer in English literature. Her occupations were literary critic, journalist, author, and poet. 

PERSONAL RESPONSE

I believe the poem is saying that life is full of hard work and it’s not that easy. Like once you stopped trying, you aren’t in this world anymore. Everyone in the world is always striving for their dreams and if you stopped striving then you aren’t part of this world. I believe that Margaret is also trying to say that never stop working or trying because you are never part of us. Life is full of strive for perfection or for your dreams. Also if you don’t struggle over the obstacles in life then you aren’t part of this world.

 Everyone struggles in life, life isn’t always as perfect as it seems. Some people may not show the fact that they are struggling but deep down inside they are. Some people can tell that a person is struggling even through the mask because they know them that well. They’ll ask that person if that person is okay and well everyone who was asked if they are okay, they say I’m fine even though it’s a lie. Everyone can relate to this poem because everyone struggles or strives for something they want. 

A lot of people strive for perfection but the struggles in life makes it hard for them. The struggles though make them human beings because everyone has a flaw and the struggles show them. Our flaws are what make us feel like we are part of this world. Even though it’s frustrating, the struggles in life are what make us feel like human beings. 

TP-CASTT

TITLE:
The title, The Moment, I believe is that the poem is about the moments in life when you accomplish something great. Like you did it because you deserved it. You worked hard to get to where you are in life and that is the moment. 

PARAPHRASE:

After many years, that moment when

you work hard and after a voyage

you stand in the center of your room,

house, half-acre, square mile, island, country,

knowing that at last you go there,

and say, I own this,

the very same moment the trees unloose

their soft arms from around you,

the birds take their language back,

the cliffs fissure and collapse,

the air moves away from you like a wave

and you can’t breathe.

No, they whisper. You own nothing.

You were a visitor, time after time 

climbing the hill, planting the flag, proclaiming.

They never belonged to you.

You never found them.

We were the one who found you.

CONNOTATION:
1. Structure: 3 Sestet, Rhyme Scheme - ABCDEF ABCADE ABACDE, Meter - Free Verse, Punctuation -  Comma, period
2. Speaker: The moment when you are done striving, Audience: When you are't part of this world
3. Figurative Language: Simile (the air moves back from you like a wave), Metaphor (None)
4. Imagery: Sight (room, island, country, house), Touch (trees, flags), Smell (None), Hear (whisper), Taste (None)
5. Repetition: None

ATTITUDE:
Artificial, reminiscent, idealistic, and distant.

SHIFTS:

1st Sestet (Lines 1-6) – You observe what you worked for and is proud

2^nd Sestet (Lines 7-12) – You aren’t part of this world anymore

3^rd Sestet (Lines 13-18) – It has never belonged to you or you never found it but the world has found you

The first sestet tells us that you looked around and saw the hard work you have done. The second sestet tells us that you stopped being part of this world when you stopped striving. The last sestet tells us that you never really owned but they found you.

TITLE:

Now that I have read the poem, The Moment, is when you stopped striving in life and you aren't in this world anymore. You have done your purpose in this world because you no longer strive for something. 

THEME:

There are 4 possible themes in this poem:
1. Life is full of goals that we strive to accomplish.
2. Striving is what makes us live our life.
3. If you stopped striving then you aren't in this world.
4. Feeling contentment is what stops us from being part of this world

REFERENCE (APA-6)
Atwood, M. (1998). The Moment. Poem Hunter. Website. Retrieved from http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-moment/