The following version of this poem was used to create this guide: Atwood, Margaret. "February.” Morning in the Burned House (McClelland & Stewart, 1995).

Note that all parenthetical citations refer to the line number from which the quotation is taken.

Margaret Atwood's free verse poem "February" is widely praised for capturing the feeling of February while exploring themes of environmentalism, feminism, and personal and political survival. Composed of a single stanza with 34 lines, "February" oscillates between stark despair and wry (sometimes humorous) observation. The bleakness of the natural world serves as a metaphor for human experience, but Atwood ultimately disrupts the rumination with an insistence on love and optimism. All the while, the speaker bonds with a cat that clamors for affection.

The speaker declares that winter is the time to isolate and consume high-fat foods. With a house cat as a companion, the speaker reflects on species survival and the brutality of evolution. Despite the oppressive despair prompted by this time of year, the speaker cultivates a tentative optimism.