Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"It Is Dangerous to Read Newspapers" by Margaret Atwood is a powerful and evocative poem that grapples with the themes of guilt, complicity, and the impact of global violence on the individual psyche. Through vivid imagery and stark contrasts, Atwood explores the unsettling realization that the comfort and safety of one's personal life are intricately connected to the broader landscape of conflict and suffering in the world.

The poem begins with a childhood memory, juxtaposing the innocence of playing in a sandbox with the horrifying image of "bulldozed corpses" and explosions triggered by stepping on cracks in the cement. This contrast serves as a metaphor for the sudden and jarring awareness of violence and tragedy that exists beyond the confines of one's immediate environment. The innocence of childhood is shattered by the realization of a world filled with conflict and death.

As the speaker grows up and becomes "literate," the ability to read and consume news brings the distant horrors of war and violence into the personal space of the reader, symbolized by the speaker sitting "as quietly as a fuse." The imagery of jungles flaming and soldiers charged in the underbrush further emphasizes the pervasive and inescapable nature of global conflicts, which infiltrate the reader's consciousness and transform the act of reading into an experience of guilt and powerlessness.

The speaker's reflection on personal complicity is particularly striking. The declaration "I am the cause, I am a stockpile of chemical / toys, my body / is a deadly gadget" suggests a deep sense of guilt, as if merely existing in a world where such violence occurs implicates the individual in its perpetuation. The metaphor of the body as a "deadly gadget" and the assertion that "my hands are guns, my good intentions are completely lethal" underscore the internalization of violence and the confusion between the desire to connect and the fear of causing harm.

The transformation of everything the speaker looks at into "the pocked / black and white of a war photo" illustrates the way in which exposure to news of violence alters perception, making it difficult to see the world without the shadow of conflict. The speaker's struggle to "stop myself" from contributing to or being affected by this cycle of violence highlights the dilemma faced by individuals who wish to remain informed but find the weight of global suffering overwhelming.

The closing lines, "It is dangerous to read newspapers. / Each time I hit a key / on my electric typewriter, / speaking of peaceful trees / another village explodes," encapsulate the poem's central tension. The act of writing or reading about peace paradoxically feels complicit in the perpetuation of violence, as if the mere acknowledgment of tranquility in one part of the world triggers destruction in another.

"It Is Dangerous to Read Newspapers" is a thought-provoking meditation on the ethical and emotional complexities of engaging with the world as an informed citizen. Atwood masterfully conveys the sense of helplessness and guilt that can accompany the consumption of news, challenging readers to consider their own positions and responsibilities in a world rife with conflict. Through its haunting imagery and introspective tone, the poem invites reflection on the impact of global violence on individual consciousness and the difficult balance between awareness and complicity.

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