Margaret Atwood

Empathy through Imagery

“One day here, the next day gone”, is a saying that is used frequently when talking about a lifetime. The idea that life is so short, it is only but an instant. A small fraction of time that cannot be repeated or changed. This idea is evident in Margaret Atwood’s poem, “The Door”. Atwood engages this theme in her poem and uses imagery to convey actions and emotions through the character she creates. In this way, the reader does not simply read this poem, but actually empathizes in the story created by Atwood, so that the reader may interact more closely with its meaning. Margaret Atwood uses vivid imagery in, “The Door”, to invoke empathy towards the character and her journey of life throughout each section of the poem.

/ You feel scared. / The door swings closed” (3-7). When reading and imagining this, a sense of childlikeness comes over the reader. He/she cannot help but feel nervous or uneasy. The imagery is used to invoke feelings of fear and helplessness to represent a childlike figure. “You feel scared” (6). This is the only place in the poem where the idea of fear lurks. This, again, is done to emphasize the innocence and curiosity of a child. Atwood is creating in the reader both a sense of wonder as well as hesitation towards what lies beyond the