The poem primarily describes a tragic and disastrous incident of spending in a burned house. The fire tragedy of the house prompted the death of the author’s family members. Additionally, the author also suffered from the inferno. She lost her arms and limbs to the incident. The primary theme of the poet is to inform the audience about the catastrophic experiences suffered from the fire tragedy. Margaret Atwood, the author, exclusively describes herself alone in the razed house. The poem is divided into five sections. Sections I describes a life spent in a blur where much was missed. There are inadequate basic needs like food and freedom in such life. Atwood mourns a life which has slipped by.
The author employs various descriptive vocabulary right from the beginning of the poem to describe the settings and to create a sober mood. Consequently, as soon as the reader audience familiarize themselves with the scenery and mood, there is a sudden tactful change in the mood towards the end. The shift of the mood effectively demonstrates the primary theme of illusion and reality in the poem. Moreover, the author incorporated many instances of an ironical situation into the poem, right from the title. The burnt house a figurative representation of the dead child’s life since the house is razed down to ashes. The house can no longer be repaired to regain its original structure. This is a similar analogy to a child moving out to another state, who will never come back as a child but grown into adulthood. The poet portrays the reality of the child’s death by the house razed down. However, the illusion in the poem is depicted when the child is narrating to the reader concerning her life after death. Finally, the poet demonstrates symbolism with the burning house which literary show the lost memory of the child’s previous account in the house before the fire outbreak. Most importantly to note is the context where the poem is taking place. Critically, the poets decide to act the poem indoors to symbolize the retarded increase in the age of the child but have achieved adulthood age.
Atwood also tries to describe the mind of a burned house, particularly, how pain and evil tormented it. Despite the grievances and the tragic incidents in the midst of the darkness, there is existing light to guide the soul of the house to a secured environment with peace and forgiveness. The poet consequently represents pain and peace in different perspectives. Though the burned house attempts to show its happiness, its protective shell still shows cracks which gradually grow into crevices. The vocabulary used in the poem also convey a unique meaning. The word incandescent summarizes the entire meaning of the poem into one word. It exclusively describes the hopes and wishes of the devastated house. Even though the house was razed down, however, there are still hopes of good things within the house. The vocabulary represents an anticipated goodness of the house as well as the sufferings it has undergone and learned by extension. On a different perspective, incandescent represents evil and suffering based on the poem. The fire which razed down the house was bright and hot. Similarly, the fire portrays the extreme pain and feelings which the house had previously suffered. Precisely, incandescent summarizes the theme of the poem. It captures both sides of the house’s mind and soul. The torturing it suffered from the bright and hot fire.
