--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: SPRING POEM It is spring, my decision…" description: "\"“SPRING POEM It is spring, my decision, the earth ferments like rising bread or refuse, we are burning last year's weeds, the smoke flares from the roa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/margaret-atwood-40_happiness_spring-poem-it-is-spring-my-decision-the_1135913.jpg" --- # SPRING POEM It is spring, my decision, the earth ferments… ![“SPRING POEM It is spring, my decision, the earth ferments like rising bread or refuse, we are burning last year's weeds, the smoke flares from the road, the clumped stalks glow like sluggish phoenixes / it wasn't only my fault / birdsongs burst from the feathered pods of their bodies, dandelions…” quote by Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/margaret-atwood-40_happiness_spring-poem-it-is-spring-my-decision-the_1135913.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/margaret-atwood-40_happiness_spring-poem-it-is-spring-my-decision-the_1135913.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/margaret-atwood-40_happiness_spring-poem-it-is-spring-my-decision-the_1135913.jpg) > ““SPRING POEM It is spring, my decision, the earth ferments like rising bread or refuse, we are burning last year's weeds, the smoke flares from the road, the clumped stalks glow like sluggish phoenixes / it wasn't only my fault / birdsongs burst from the feathered pods of their bodies, dandelions whirl their blades upwards, from beneath this decaying board a snake sidewinds, chained hide smelling of reptile sex / the hens roll in the dust, squinting with bliss, frogbodies bloat like bladders, contract, string the pond with living jelly eyes, can I be this ruthless? I plunge my hands and arms into the dirt, swim among stones and cutworms, come up rank as a fox, restless. Nights, while seedlings dig near my head I dream of reconciliations with those I have hurt unbearably, we move still touching over the greening fields, the future wounds folded like seeds in our tender fingers, days I go for vicious walks past the charred roadbed over the bashed stubble admiring the view, avoiding those I have not hurt yet, apocalypse coiled in my tongue, it is spring, I am searching for the word: finished finished so I can begin over again, some year I will take this word too far.”” [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The poem blends vivid natural imagery with personal turmoil, exploring renewal, destruction, and the desire to start anew despite past harms. **In simple terms:** Spring imagery reflects inner conflict and a wish for fresh beginnings. Key Takeaway Embrace renewal while confronting past hurts. Themes renewal conflict nature self‑reflection rebirth Mood reflective intense Type poetic confessional When to use this quote - gardening - creative writing - personal healing Key Concepts metaphor cycle contradiction Questions to Reflect On - What does the phoenix metaphor reveal about transformation? - How does the poet reconcile violence with growth? 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I plunge my hands and arms into the dirt, swim among stones and cutworms, come up rank as a fox, restless. Nights, while seedlings dig near my head I dream of reconciliations with those I have hurt unbearably, we move still touching over the greening fields, the future wounds folded like seeds in our tender fingers, days I go for vicious walks past the charred roadbed over the bashed stubble admiring the view, avoiding those I have not hurt yet, apocalypse coiled in my tongue, it is spring, I am searching for the word: finished finished so I can begin over again, some year I will take this word too far.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Margaret Atwood" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/spring-poem-it-is-spring-my-decision-the-earth-ferments-like-rising/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happiness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/spring-poem-it-is-spring-my-decision-the-earth-ferments-like-rising/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/margaret-atwood-40_happiness_spring-poem-it-is-spring-my-decision-the_1135913.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/margaret-atwood-40_happiness_spring-poem-it-is-spring-my-decision-the_1135913.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/margaret-atwood-40_happiness_spring-poem-it-is-spring-my-decision-the_1135913.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“SPRING POEM It is spring, my decision, the earth ferments like rising bread or refuse, we are burning last…” — Margaret Atwood", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Margaret Atwood", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“SPRING POEM It is spring, my...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/spring-poem-it-is-spring-my-decision-the-earth-ferments-like-rising/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/spring-poem-it-is-spring-my-decision-the-earth-ferments-like-rising/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```