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.
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:
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:
TITLE:
REFERENCE (APA-6)
Atwood, M. (1998). The Moment. Poem Hunter. Website. Retrieved from http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-moment/
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.
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
Artificial, reminiscent, idealistic, and distant.
1st Sestet (Lines 1-6) – You observe what you worked for and
is proud
2nd Sestet (Lines 7-12) – You aren’t part of this
world anymore
3rd 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.
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
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/