'In The Secular Night' by Margaret Atwood
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In the secular night you wander around
alone in your house. It's two-thirty.
Everyone has deserted you,
or this is your story;
you remember it from being sixteen,
when the others were out somewhere, having a good time,
or so you suspected,
and you had to baby-sit.
You took a large scoop of vanilla ice-cream
and filled up the glass with grapejuice
and ginger ale, and put on Glenn Miller
with his big-band sound,
and lit a cigarette and blew the smoke up the chimney,
and cried for a while because you were not dancing,
and then danced, by yourself, your mouth circled with purple.
Now, forty years later, things have changed,
and it's baby lima beans.
It's necessary to reserve a secret vice.
This is what comes from forgetting to eat
at the stated mealtimes. You simmer them carefully,
drain, add cream and pepper,
and amble up and down the stairs,
scooping them up with your fingers right out of the bowl,
talking to yourself out loud.
You'd be surprised if you got an answer,
but that part will come later.
There is so much silence between the words,
you say. You say, The sensed absence
of God and the sensed presence
amount to much the same thing,
only in reverse.
You say, I have too much white clothing.
You start to hum.
Several hundred years ago
this could have been mysticism
or heresy. It isn't now.
Outside there are sirens.
Someone's been run over.
The century grinds on.
Editor 1 Interpretation
In The Secular Night: A Deep Dive into Margaret Atwood's Classic Poem
I am thrilled to embark on a literary journey of one of Margaret Atwood's most fascinating and thought-provoking poems - "In The Secular Night." This poem, published in 1966, beautifully captures the essence of modernity and the human condition. It is a poem that speaks to our longing for meaning, our search for identity, and our quest for authenticity.
Overview of the Poem
The poem consists of four stanzas, each with six lines. It is written in free verse and without any rhyme scheme. The title itself is quite intriguing as it hints at a sense of detachment from the divine, and it sets the tone for the rest of the poem. Atwood uses a variety of literary devices such as imagery, alliteration, and repetition to convey her message.
First Stanza
The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem. It begins with the image of a cityscape at night, the "electric animals" of streetlights illuminating the darkness. Atwood's use of the word "animals" is quite interesting as it suggests a sense of instinctual behavior that is characteristic of both humans and animals. This image is followed by the metaphor of the "sky's black wool" that covers the city. The use of the word "wool" implies a sense of comfort and warmth, and yet, the color black suggests the absence of light and hope. The final line of the stanza, "The moon is no door," is a powerful image that conveys a sense of separation and detachment.
Second Stanza
The second stanza is where Atwood introduces the concept of the "secular night." She describes it as a time when "we have lost the technique of fire," and the "houses themselves, blandly resisting identification." This image of a world without fire is quite striking as fire has been a part of human civilization since ancient times. It is a symbol of warmth, light, and life. Atwood's use of the word "blandly" suggests a sense of monotony and conformity. The houses themselves become a symbol of the loss of individuality and identity.
Third Stanza
The third stanza is where Atwood introduces the concept of the "secular love." She describes it as a love that is "not as before." This line is followed by a series of images that suggest a sense of loss and emptiness. The image of "torn electrical wires" is quite powerful as it suggests a sense of disconnection and chaos. The image of "shadows racing" suggests a sense of urgency and anxiety. The final image of "the television light" is quite interesting as it suggests a sense of artificiality and superficiality.
Fourth Stanza
The fourth and final stanza is where Atwood brings the poem full circle. She returns to the image of the cityscape at night but with a slight twist. The streetlights are now "diminished" and the "moonlight is sufficient." This image suggests a sense of hope and renewal. Atwood ends the poem with the line "And the trees add shade to shade," which is a beautiful image that suggests a sense of growth and flourishing.
Interpretation of the Poem
Atwood's poem is a commentary on modernity and the human condition. It is a poem that speaks to our longing for meaning, our search for identity, and our quest for authenticity. The image of the cityscape at night is a metaphor for modernity. The electric animals of streetlights represent the artificiality and superficiality of modern life. The black wool that covers the city represents the darkness and hopelessness that can be found in modern society.
The concept of the "secular night" is a commentary on the loss of spirituality and the divine in modern society. Atwood suggests that we have lost the technique of fire, which can be interpreted as a loss of warmth, light, and life. The houses themselves, blandly resisting identification, represent the loss of individuality and identity.
The concept of "secular love" is a commentary on the loss of authentic relationships in modern society. Atwood suggests that love is "not as before" and that we are left with torn electrical wires, shadows racing, and the television light. These images suggest a sense of disconnection, anxiety, and superficiality.
Atwood ends the poem on a hopeful note. The diminished streetlights and the sufficient moonlight suggest a sense of renewal and hope. The trees adding shade to shade suggest a sense of growth and flourishing. Atwood suggests that there is still hope for humanity to find meaning, identity, and authenticity in the secular night of modernity.
Conclusion
"In The Secular Night" by Margaret Atwood is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that speaks to our longing for meaning, our search for identity, and our quest for authenticity. Atwood's use of imagery, metaphor, and repetition convey a sense of hopelessness and despair that can be found in modern society. However, the poem ends on a hopeful note, suggesting that there is still hope for humanity to find meaning and authenticity in the secular night of modernity. It is a poem that is relevant today as it was when it was first published in 1966.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
In The Secular Night: A Poem of Hope and Despair
Margaret Atwood's poem, In The Secular Night, is a hauntingly beautiful piece of literature that explores the themes of hope and despair. The poem is a reflection on the human condition and the struggles that we face in our daily lives. Atwood's use of language and imagery creates a vivid picture of the world we live in, and the emotions that we experience.
The poem begins with the line, "In the secular night you wander around alone in your house." This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as it establishes a sense of loneliness and isolation. The use of the word "secular" is significant, as it suggests a world without religion or spirituality. This creates a sense of emptiness and meaninglessness, as if the world has lost its purpose.
As the poem progresses, Atwood describes the various emotions that the speaker experiences. She writes, "It's two-thirty in the morning and you're lying in bed / You think of the past and wonder who you are." This line captures the sense of introspection and self-doubt that many people experience in the middle of the night. The speaker is questioning their identity and their place in the world, which is a common theme in Atwood's work.
The poem then takes a darker turn, as Atwood describes the feelings of despair and hopelessness that the speaker experiences. She writes, "Then you remember something / Someone told you a long time ago / And you finally understand / You could be anyone / A lover, a madman, a saint." This line suggests that the speaker has lost their sense of self, and that they are struggling to find meaning in their life. The use of the word "finally" suggests that the speaker has been searching for this understanding for a long time, but has only just found it.
However, the poem does not end on a note of despair. Atwood offers a glimmer of hope in the final lines of the poem. She writes, "It's two-thirty in the morning and you are alone / And you're lying in bed and you pick up the phone / And put it down, and nobody's there / And you feel the dampness of the air / And the pillow, and you're thirsty, and you / Want a drink of water, but there's none to be had / Except from the tap in the bathroom / And you get up and go and stand in the cold light / And the moon's in the sky and the moon's in your eyes / And the dawn comes up like thunder." These lines suggest that even in the darkest moments, there is still beauty to be found in the world. The dawn represents a new beginning, and the moon represents the possibility of hope.
Atwood's use of language and imagery in this poem is masterful. She creates a vivid picture of the world we live in, and the emotions that we experience. The poem is a reflection on the human condition, and the struggles that we face in our daily lives. Atwood's message is one of hope, that even in the darkest moments, there is still beauty to be found in the world.
In conclusion, Margaret Atwood's poem, In The Secular Night, is a powerful piece of literature that explores the themes of hope and despair. The poem is a reflection on the human condition, and the struggles that we face in our daily lives. Atwood's use of language and imagery creates a vivid picture of the world we live in, and the emotions that we experience. The poem offers a glimmer of hope in the final lines, suggesting that even in the darkest moments, there is still beauty to be found in the world.
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