Journey to the Interior by Margaret Atwood.

The second stanza shows the differences between the interior journey and all others. This journey is not defined with “the lack of reliable charts;” this is unknown territory. This stanza introduces some strange images to the responder; “your shoe among the brambles under the chair where it shouldn’t be” this appears to be a domestic image, but when examining the definition of brambles we discover that this image is not normal. This line is then followed by other surreal images “a sentence crossing my path”, these are distractions preventing her from seriously examining her inner self. She knows she must not take herself, her journey, too serious because “the danger: many have been here, but only some have returned safely”. Here she is saying how others have tried to explore their psyche and as a consequence have become lost in themselves and their inner psyche – this consumption is not in vain rather a neurotic, desperate and depressive experience. As sort of an escape she lightens the mood “have I been walking in circles again?” this aside is an attempt to exit the dark and depressive world that is surrounding the subject, the world of herself.

The final paragraph shows another example at the author’s desperation to escape the seriousness of her inner world; “whatever I do I must keep my head.” This is a dangerous journey “ I know it is easier for me to lose my way forever here, than in other landscapes”.

This poem is full of visual imagery, referring to the landscape and environment. These images are dark and unusual which adds to the eery feel of the poem “I move surrounded by a tangle of branches, a net of air”. The sound imagery throughout the poem is erratic, with no pattern or structure, which reflects what the poet is saying. Alliteration is used rarely, one example “wall welded” is perhaps to create emphasis that even the physical world is in itself constructed rather than just found. There is no flowing rhythm through the lines, the poet’s thought continues throughout lines which disorientates the reader, the rhythm is also unsettling.

The use of the first person pronoun “I” makes the poem personal and individual. The use of this pronoun is not intrusive though, it could be anybody – the universal “I”.

The atmosphere seems surreal. The poet shares her experiences in a strangely matter of fact tone, there is no surprise or astonishment – although there are questions the poet does not seem fazed by the occurrences.

Margaret Atwood attempts to chart the dark mystery that is ourselves in this poem, The Journey to the interior.  She uses irregularity in rhythm, visual and sound imagery to create an atmosphere of uncertainty and danger.  Atwood effectively examines the journey of the human psyche by comparing it to familiar landscapes.