In this insightful poem entitled “The Moment,” Margaret Atwood presents us with a narrator which could be her and also the nature talking in the poem. The poem represents “The Moment” at which when we humans think we have achieved something through our own hard work when we think we are bosses, but that’s the same moment when nature can simply will and decide to take back what it has given to you. Take away the same support we had but didn’t realize because we may take it for granted. Throughout the whole poem, Atwood establishes the fact that we humans think we are in control of our lives, but at nature’s simple will, it can all be taken away and we would have to go back and star at square one. Atwood also makes us realize that in the end, being self-centered will pay off as nothing related to us matters – our hopes, desires, anything. As there is something much older, ancient and powerful than us that is going to remain longer than us, and we will just be left as stories. Atwood highlights the futility of discovery due to its insignificant meaning.

Atwood immediately establishes that presuming the fact that we are in control and that we have the right to own everything just because you worked for it is not the right way to go about things as those beloved comfortable walls can come crashing down any moment at the simple will of nature. She first mentions ” …I own this, it is the same moment when the trees unloose their soft arms around you…”  in stanza 1 and2 Before continuing with similar visual and sensory imagery. By doing so, she shows a comparison, a contrast between the presumed reality and the hard truth. What we think we have versus what we actually do. This is possible “The Moment” which the title refers to. Later in the poem, Atwood mentions “No, they whisper. You own nothing. you were a visitor, time after time climbing the hill, planting the flag, proclaiming, ” in stanza 3. This straight away tells the audience that humans think it is a total misconception. This suggests that what we think we own, we don’t actually own it as something else owns us. We don’t own ourselves, in fact. By the end of the poem, a clear statement has been made, where nature in a way is finally, strongly taking a stand.

In conclusion, Margaret Atwood creates a tense environment in her piece of work and effectively manages to display the false pretense of possession we humans hold. Atwood shows the importance of how not to take advantage of nature in our world and all that it provides for us. To respect it.  She also conveys the idea of how the things we think we have discovered, we are the ones that actually walked to us really well. How It’s the other way around and we got it wrong.  That they discovered us. Overall, Atwood uses different strong narratives to display clearly the very moment that the time we feel triumphant, that moment can go wrong immediately, that there is no use of getting attached to things as you never know what will happen to the things you love and have worked hard for.