Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Elegy for the Giant Tortoises" by Margaret Atwood is a contemplative and mournful poem that reflects on the theme of extinction and human impact on the natural world. Through the specific meditation on the giant tortoises, Atwood explores broader issues of environmental degradation, loss, and the human role in the decline of species. The poem is both a personal lament and a universal call to consciousness about the fragility of life and the consequences of human actions.

The opening lines set the tone for the poem, with the speaker choosing to focus on the giant tortoises as a symbol of vanishing species. This choice to "specialize" in mourning for the tortoises among the many extinct and endangered species underscores the poem's message that every lost species deserves recognition and remembrance. The tortoises, with their ancient lineage and slow pace, become emblematic of the natural world's vulnerability in the face of human progress and exploitation.

Atwood's use of imagery to describe the tortoises' final withering on a "remote island" evokes a sense of isolation and neglect. This remote island, once a sanctuary, becomes a final resting place, highlighting the distance between human society and the natural habitats we impact.

The speaker's attempt to "concentrate" on the tortoises in everyday settings like "subway stations" and "parks" suggests the challenge of keeping the memory and reality of distant environmental issues in the forefront of our minds. The tortoises move "to the peripheries" of the speaker's vision, symbolizing the way these concerns are often marginalized or overlooked in the hustle and bustle of human life.

The poem then shifts to a prophetic vision of the "last day" when the tortoises will "materialize" before the speaker, "plodding past me in a straggling line." This imagery serves as a powerful reminder of what is at stake, bringing the abstract idea of extinction into a vivid, tangible reality. The description of the tortoises as "awkward without water" and their "useless armour" evokes a deep sense of tragedy and futility, emphasizing the mismatch between these ancient creatures and the modern world that has led to their demise.

The final stanza is particularly poignant, with the tortoises moving "toward the square glass altars / where the brittle gods are kept," a metaphor for museums and collections where the remnants of extinct species are preserved. This imagery of "brittle gods" and "relics of what we have destroyed" speaks to the hollow victory of cataloging and studying species that we have simultaneously driven to extinction. The closing lines, referring to these preserved specimens as "our holy and obsolete symbols," highlight the irony and sadness of venerating what we have lost only after it is beyond saving.

"Elegy for the Giant Tortoises" is a powerful reflection on the themes of loss, memory, and the human relationship with the natural world. Atwood's poignant meditation on the giant tortoises serves as both a tribute to these majestic creatures and a critique of the human behaviors that threaten the diversity and beauty of life on Earth. Through her elegiac tone and vivid imagery, Atwood invites readers to consider the legacy of our actions and the importance of preserving the natural world for future generations.

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