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AP Success - AP English Literature: February (a cat poem)

Winter. Time to eat fat

and watch hockey. In the pewter mornings, the cat,

a black fur sausage with yellow

Houdini eyes, jumps up on the bed and tries

5

to get onto my head. It’s his

way of telling whether or not I’m dead.

If I’m not, he wants to be scratched; if I am

He’ll think of something. He settles

on my chest, breathing his breath

10

of burped-up meat and musty sofas,

purring like a washboard. Some other tomcat,

not yet a capon, has been spraying our front door,

declaring war. It’s all about sex and territory,

which are what will finish us off

15

in the long run. Some cat owners around here

should snip a few testicles. If we wise

hominids were sensible, we’d do that too,

or eat our young, like sharks.

But it’s love that does us in. Over and over

20

again, He shoots, he scores! and famine

crouches in the bedsheets, ambushing the pulsing

eiderdown, and the windchill factor hits

thirty below, and pollution pours

out of our chimneys to keep us warm.

25

February, month of despair,

with a skewered heart in the centre.

I think dire thoughts, and lust for French fries

with a splash of vinegar.

Cat, enough of your greedy whining

30

and your small pink bumhole.

Off my face! You’re the life principle,

more or less, so get going

on a little optimism around here.

Get rid of death. Celebrate increase. Make it be spring.

Source 1: Margaret Atwood, “February” from Morning in the Burned House. Copyright © 1995 by Margaret Atwood. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

1

In lines 1-2, the phrase "Time to eat fat and watch hockey" most likely implies that the setting is:

A celebration of a sports victory.
A community gathering.
A cultural ritual or seasonal tradition.
An individual's routine.
A metaphor for indulgence and entertainment.

2

The cat's actions in lines 4-6 ("jumps up on the bed and tries to get onto my head") serve primarily to:

Illustrate the cat's playful nature.
Demonstrate the cat's intelligence and cunning.
Symbolize the intrusion of nature into personal space.
Suggest a daily routine between the narrator and the cat.
Establish a humorous tone.

3

In lines 13-14 ("declaring war. It’s all about sex and territory"), the narrator uses the phrase "declaring war" to:

Illustrate the intensity of animal instincts.
Introduce a theme of conflict and rivalry.
Compare the animal behavior to human conflicts.
Add a dramatic tone to the description of the tomcat's behavior.
Highlight the seriousness of the tomcat's actions.

4

The reference to "snip a few testicles" in lines 15-16 suggests the narrator's:

Concern for animal welfare.
Humorous take on animal control.
Advocacy for population control among animals.
Casual attitude towards a serious issue.
Disapproval of irresponsible pet ownership.

5

In lines 19-20, "But it’s love that does us in. Over and over again," the repetition of "over and over again" emphasizes:

The inevitability of love's impact on individuals.
The frustration the narrator feels about love.
The cyclic nature of emotional experiences.
The overwhelming power of love.
The narrator's personal experiences with love.

6

The imagery of "famine crouches in the bedsheets" (line 21) is used to:

Symbolize hidden threats in comfortable environments.
Emphasize the narrator's feelings of vulnerability.
Illustrate the stark contrast between warmth and cold.
Convey the narrator's pessimistic outlook on life.
Create a sense of impending danger or doom.

7

In lines 27-28, the narrator's "lust for French fries with a splash of vinegar" is an example of:

An abrupt shift in tone from philosophical to mundane.
An ironic contrast to the preceding heavy themes.
A literal craving that interrupts the narrator's musings.
A metaphor for simpler pleasures amidst complex thoughts.
A symbolic reference to the narrator's cultural background.

8

The cat's portrayal as "the life principle" in lines 31-32 suggests that the animal:

Represents vitality and persistence.
Embodies a philosophical concept for the narrator.
Is central to the narrator's existence.
Serves as a catalyst for the narrator's reflections.
Is a source of annoyance for the narrator.

9

The phrase "Make it be spring" (line 34) at the end of the passage primarily serves to:

Introduce a new thematic element of hope.
Convey the narrator's powerlessness against nature.
Symbolize the narrator's optimism.
Indicate a desire for change or renewal.
Illustrate the narrator's longing for warmer weather.

10

Overall, the passage can be best described as:

A narrative on the struggles of winter and the anticipation of spring.
A contemplation on the cyclical nature of life and death.
An introspective account blending daily life with existential musings.
A humorous anecdote about living with a pet.
A metaphorical exploration of human and animal behavior.

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