Brutality and Demoralization

Winter begets a seasonal malaise that afflicts the speaker in Margaret Atwood’s poem “February.” The title specifies the particular time of year, but the opening lines refer to a whole season spent inside “eat[ing] fat / and watch[ing] hockey” (1–2). Especially in places characterized by heavy, sustained winter snowfall, the winter months can be difficult to endure. What begins as an opportunity to live at a slower pace, embrace introspection, and enjoy various comforts indoors can eventually feel stifling. The speaker in “February” indicates their lethargy in the opening lines, but the brevity of these lines also conveys an acerbic tone. Despite feeling unsettled and demoralized, the speaker maintains a darkly wry sense of humor that ultimately cuts through their hopelessness.

As stated, the opening lines establish a bleak, sardonic, and apathetic tone. The mundane acts of eating high-fat foods and consuming entertainment...