Practical Criticism

You fit into me

You fit into me

like a hook into an eye

A fish hook

An open eye.

1.- What is the relationship between the title and the rest of the poem?
The title expresses the idea of the poem "you fit into me", which is later developed in the poem by similes.


2.- What words, if any, need to be defined?
Hook, which means and object consisting of a small blunt metal hunk that is inserted in a corresponding loop or eyelet.


3.- What relations do you see among any words in the poem?
There's a strong relation between "hook" and "eye". Both words have different meanings but in the text this meanings are changed or used in a metaphorical way.


4.- What are the various connotative meaning of the words in the poem? Do you see various shades of meaning help establish relationships or patterns in the text?
In this poem, Margaret Atwood uses different shades of the word "hook" and "eye"

5.- What symbols, images or figures of speech are used? What is the relationship between them?
The whole poem can be understood in different ways, the relation between words is changed during the poem. In the last two verses, the words "hook" and "eye" are used in a different ways than in the first two lines.

6.- What elements of rhyme, meter or pattern can you discuss?
This is a free verse poem. There's no rhyme and the syllables vary in each verse.


7.- What is the tone of the poem?
The poem can be interpreted in a stressed way. A little bit furious.

8.- From what point of view is the content of the poem being told?
The poem was written by a woman, who maybe had a love problem, like "the perfect couple" but suddenly something happened and everything ended the other way around. Maybe a fight or something else.


9.- What tensions, ambiguities or paradoxes arise within the poem?
There's an ambiguity between the first two verses and the last two. The words hook and eye are used in a different way. The first to verses may be interpreted like "the perfect couple", the last two verses are maybe representing a fight or something else.


10.- What do you believe the chief paradox or irony is in the text?
The chief paradox or irony is there to represent anger and fury toward the person who did the situation that may be inferred. The person who was supposed to be the best one for her, turned into the worst enemy, thus, the persona expresses this feeling.


11.- How do all of the elements of the poem support and develop the primary paradox or irony?
They are all there in a specific way, nothing is there by casualty. Everything supports the hook and eye ambiguity expressing a paradoxical reaction of love.