February- Margaret Atwood (motif)

"Winter. Time to eat fat and watch hockey."

This idea is repeated throughout the poem as a motif. References to food and eating are consistently used. First, the cat is described with food words, "a black fur sausage." Then the cat's breath is scented like meat. Also, the speaker suggests eating our young "if we were sensible." This furthers the idea that winter is a time for eating. The motif is furthered when the speaker talks of famine and a skewered heart. The idea that winter is a time to eat is emphasized through the motif of food being repeated throughout. In addition, the idea of hockey is repeated. The idea of war and territory are mentioned. In hockey, the games are sort of like battles and the different sides of the rink are considered the opponent's territory. "He shoots, he scores" is inserted in the middle of the poem. This could be interpreted literally like hockey or in the context of the poem. The motifs of eating and hockey are repeated throughout the work in a way that contributes to the idea that winter is a "time to eat fat and watch hockey."