Can anyone analyze the poem " A Sad Child" by Atwood?

Question

Can anyone analyze the poem " A Sad Child" by Atwood I need it for school. IT counts as a semester exam and I have no idea what to do. I need to include literary devices. If anyone could help me out that would be great. I will put the poem below.

A Sad Child

You're sad because you're sad.
It's psychic. It's the age. It's chemical.
Go see a shrink or take a pill,
or hug your sadness like an eyeless doll
you need to sleep.

Well, all children are sad
but some get over it.
Count your blessings. Better than that,
buy a hat. Buy a coat or pet.
Take up dancing to forget.

Forget what?
Your sadness, your shadow,
whatever it was that was done to you
the day of the lawn party
when you came inside flushed with the sun,
your mouth sulky with sugar,
in your new dress with the ribbon
and the ice-cream smear,
and said to yourself in the bathroom,
I am not the favorite child.

My darling, when it comes
right down to it
and the light fails and the fog rolls in
and you're trapped in your overtu

Answer 1

You're sad because you're sad.
(the writer felt it was fate, something she could not change)

It's psychic. It's the age. It's chemical.
(be it mental, social or biological, she cannot escape)

Go see a shrink or take a pill,
(other alternatives to escape the misery)

or hug your sadness like an eyeless doll
(she contemplates, if it were fated, she might as well accept it. It is not a nice picture to hug an eyeless doll.)

you need to sleep.
(One way to escape is to sleep, lose consciousness)


Well, all children are sad
(A statement of misguided world view, that all children are sad, because she is)

but some get over it.
(some accept it, move on. She says "some", which implies most do not get over it. It shows the depth of her saddness)

Count your blessings. Better than that,
(She tries to be optimistic, looks to material things...)

buy a hat. Buy a coat or pet.
(can these things satisfy?)

Take up dancing to forget.
(or engage in activities to forget the miseries.)


.... you can do the rest ...

Answer 2

This is a consolation poem for a child. The speaker urges a child to overcome sadness. Sadness is "psychic. It's the age. It's chemical." Moreover, all children become sad "but some get over it" Those who do not get sad at all are quite rare. The speaker therefore offers ways to overcome sadness like, "Go see a shrink or take a pill,/or hug your sadness like an eyeless doll" or get a favorite dream present like a hat or anything that can make them forget their listlessness. Children sometimes become sad after being reprimanded (whatever it was that was done to you). They turn red, " flushed with the sun" and sulk when accused of dirtying their new dresses with ice-cream. They lock themselves in the bathroom and reflect that they are not Mom' or Dad's " favorite child." It all boils to senseless sadness.
Notice that the poet talks about no specific child but suggests all children. Eventually, the poet is saying that parents love their children although the kids may think otherwise after some well-intentioned reprimands.

Answer 3

sorry i had to do this a lot...4 my english class but is boring and i totally suck at this...Good luck

Answer 4

give me some time.