Theme of Margaret Atwoods Poem Journey to the Interior free essay sample

The poem under scrutiny is â€Å"Journey to the Interior† which is a monologue, the apt form for introspection. It is a metaphysical poem with a recurring motif of ‘journey’ with Atwood that she explores in other works like â€Å"Surfacing†. ‘Journey to the Interior’ is a subtle, many layered poem with nuances that may be contradictory and therefore wide open to multiple interpretations. The dream like (surreal) mood is created by a pensive (thinking deeply abt smth, especially when u r sad or worried), reflective musing (a period of thinking carefully abt smth or telling people Ur thoughts) tone, at times morbid or melancholic. Written in post-modern style with multiple allusions and disparate (very different from each other) images, it communicates in lateral thinking rather than logical sequential processes. The poem is an allegory as it is a narrative serving an extended metaphor. The interior referred to in this poem is the psyche of the poetess. We will write a custom essay sample on Theme of Margaret Atwoods Poem Journey to the Interior or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The poetess utilizes an extended metaphor here- her inner exploration stretches out to the journeying of the mountain. The use of the words similarities (line 1) and differences (line 20) shows contrast and allows us to make connections between the physical world and internal realm, and bridge the gap between connotation and denotation. The poem has various themes such as (i) the inner life is complex and if elved into too deeply can be confronting, demoralising and depressing, leading to madness, even self-harm, (ii) life can be absurd, meaningless, directionless, or even futile, (iii) sensory perceptions and rational thought processes are not always reliable to gain true self-insight rather a holistic emotional and lateral thinking are needed, (iv) language can be inadequate or an obstacle to express the depths of our feelings. In this poem the meditative reflection in which Atwood is engaged has three stages. The meditative mind passes through various phases first, the similariti es then the differences and finally the exit from the maze. As one delves deeper into the mind, it stretches out into various directions –incomprehensible and inscrutable. A person with a firm faith can embark on the discovery of the self, and survive unscathed (unharmed) in the process. For the outsiders, the human mind is as limited as a two-dimensional picture â€Å"flat as a wall. † The hills from the distance seem â€Å"welded together†. But from near, the opening between them breaks into vast prairies. Furthermore, it does not imply that the interior landscape or mind is uniformly fertile. It has its share of barren swamps that are capable of producing â€Å"spindly (thin and long but not strong) trees†. The â€Å"cliff is not known as rough except by the hand. † The world supposes that only tangible objects exist in this world. The unseen are unfathomable (too strange or difficult to be understood). It is not statistically correct and mathematically discrete. There are no fixed points to connect just dotted lines as in a map to trace the geography of a point. Or further, even to trace connections. It is beyond geometry too, in that it cannot be â€Å"plotted on a square surface†.