Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

VULTURES, by MARGARET ATWOOD Poet Analysis Poet's Biography

"Vultures" by Margaret Atwood is a thought-provoking poem that navigates the complex relationship between life and death, presenting vultures not just as symbols of decay but as essential components of the ecological cycle. Through vivid imagery and contemplative dialogue, Atwood explores themes of survival, the natural order, and the moral judgments often cast upon these misunderstood creatures.

The poem opens with a striking image of vultures hanging in the "thermal whiteout of noon," likened to "dark ash in the chimney’s updraft," which immediately sets a tone of ominous presence yet natural balance. The comparison of their circling flight to a "thumb pressed down on target" introduces an element of precision and inevitability in their existence, portraying them as both passive observers and active participants in the cycle of life and death.

As the vultures descend upon their meal, their behavior shifts from the graceful, detached circling to a frenzied, communal feast. Atwood's language becomes more visceral as she describes this transformation, using phrases like "hyenas, raucous around the kill" and "flapping their black umbrellas." This section of the poem highlights the duality of the vultures' existence, embodying both the solemnity of death and the raw, unapologetic drive for survival.

The poet anthropomorphizes the vultures, attributing to them behaviors and characteristics associated with human mourning and gluttony, yet in a manner that grotesquely inverts these traits. They become "the feathered red-eyed widows" and "frowzy old saint[s]," suggesting a dark parody of human rituals surrounding death. This personification challenges the reader to reconsider the vultures' role in nature and the often negative perceptions that surround them.

In the final stanza, Atwood presents a direct address to the vulture, posing a profound question about the creature's understanding of death and its place within it. The vulture's response, "I make life, which is prayer. / I make clean bones. / I make a gray zinc noise / which to me is a song," serves as a powerful reclamation of its role as a purifier, a being that transforms death into an essential part of the continuity of life. This response reframes the vulture's existence as one of purpose and even reverence, contributing to the cycle of life rather than merely profiting from death.

The closing line, "Well, heart, out of all this / carnage, could you do better?" serves as a reflective challenge to the reader, questioning our own judgments and contributions to the cycles of life and death. It prompts a contemplation of the natural world's complexities and our place within it, encouraging a deeper understanding and respect for all its participants, including those we might find repugnant.

"Vultures" is a masterful exploration of the intersections between life and death, beauty and revulsion, and the essential role that each creature plays in the natural world. Through her portrayal of vultures, Atwood invites readers to look beyond surface appearances and societal biases, urging a recognition of the interconnectedness and intrinsic value of all life forms.

POEM TEXT:

Hung there in the thermal

whiteout of noon, dark ash

in the chimney’s updraft, turning

slowly like a thumb pressed down

on target; indolent V’s; flies, until they drop.

Then they’re hyenas, raucous

around the kill, flapping their black

umbrellas, the feathered red-eyed widows

whose pot bodies violate mourning,

the snigger at funerals,

the burp at the wake.