The City Planners

Question 1

Meaning:

Answer 1

Atwood creates this poetry, addressing the perfection, robotic, bland and uniform structure of the city, something she finds completely sickening. Through the poem, she mentions the sickening sense of conformity in the city.

Question 2

First Stanza

Answer 2

‘Houses in pedantic…’ and ‘sanitary’ Perfection/imperfection dirty, cleaned.Clear formation of streets, imagery. ‘Levelness’ contrasts ‘dent’ not right. ‘Rational’ prove importance of machinery. ‘Whine’ imperfection reinforces not right

Question 3

Second Stanza

Answer 3

Individuality causes panic/shock. Negative feeling towards the place due to imagery. ‘The smell of’ ext

Question 4

Third Stanza

Answer 4

‘Glaciers’ That slowly community will break down and fracture, people are frozen.

Question 5

Stanza Four

Answer 5

Politicians don’t know what they are doing and messes with design. Self benefit and political gain blind to the needs of the people. Coldness and detachment.

Question 6

Final Stanza

Answer 6

Metaphor of Blizzards, from above to suggest suburban planning is more widespread and how it is controlling again the sense of coldness and detachment