it is before that, and colder
-- Speaker (Line 3)

Importance: Marriage is described with a harshness that mirrors the primitive landscape the characters are attempting to navigate and find themselves within. It is important for Atwood to highlight the work and perseverance they have to invest in themselves and each other to continue on and find a way to survive.

the edge of the receding glacier
-- Speaker (Line 9)

Importance: Within this quote Atwood again utilizes the natural surroundings to mirror the status of the relationship between the protagonists. Once they have traversed the unforgiving scenarios around them, they find that the glacier has receded and they are able to continue their lives together and find some softness in the world around them.

we are learning to make fire
-- Speaker (Line 13)

Importance: This line in the poem represents a triumphant ending to the couple's story. The fire is a metaphor for success, a physical thawing of the cold atmosphere and cold...