"February"

In this poem, Margaret Atwood places emphasis on her cat immediately from the beginning. She then jumps to the actions of other cats, which she describes in a very negative manner. She blames cats' behavior for ultimately "finishing us off in the long run". By saying this, the poet begins to equate cat behavior and human behavior. Atwood then goes on to say that human love and relationships are what we have to blame for reproduction. From the title of this poem, the reader knows that these thoughts and feelings from the poet are all taking place in the month of February. When Atwood describes the month of February as "the month of despair", she adds irony to the piece. When people think of February, many come up with happy thoughts of love and, most importantly, Valentine's Day. Instead of looking for love, the author of this poem is looking for some "french fries with a splash of vinegar". Although the tone of this poem seems depressing up to this point, the author changes her mindset in the end. Through advice given to the cat, the author indirectly advises herself to search for the positives and happiness in life. She has a new desire for "spring", or new beginnings.