19 pages • 38 minutes read
Margaret AtwoodBackdrop Addresses Cowboy
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1974A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Literary context
“Backdrop Addresses Cowboy” is an early example of Atwood’s political poems. The poem can be considered a work of postmodernism, a movement which concerns itself with deconstructing the individual identity through lenses like race, gender, and sexuality. In “Backdrop Addresses Cowboy,” Atwood questions the defined identity of the central cowboy figure. He is supposed to be heroic and chivalrous, but the poem examines this assumption from various angles. Apart from its thematic concerns, the poem is also post-modernist in its use of pastiche (a collage-like technique), using elements from movies, pop culture, and art to create distinct imagery. The poem’s enjambments and stanzaic structure are also reminiscent of postmodernist word-play and innovations with form. However, “Backdrop Addresses Cowboy” differs from the particular definition of postmodernism which defines a postmodernist work as open-ended in its position.
Atwood’s poem has a very clear position, as is evident in its strong, value-imbued vocabulary and satirical tone. The cowboy has “righteous eyes” (Line 9) and “laconic/ trigger-fingers” (Lines 9-10), which leave behind a “heroic/ trail of desolation” (Lines 14-15). The poem succinctly critiques the cowboy’s actions and what he represents, therefore using the postmodernist tradition to state Atwood’s distinct, unique viewpoint.
Historical context
Atwood’s poems often engage with themes like imperialism, male domination, and climate change. Like in “Backdrop Addresses Cowboy,” the poet often explores the relationship between masculine and feminine, between nature and civilization, between land and colonizers, and between animals and humans. Additionally, Atwood also explores the relationship between Canada and the United States. In “Backdrop Addresses Cowboy,” one way to interpret the lines “the I confronting you/ on that border you are always trying to cross” (Lines 26-28) is in the context of Canada. As the larger, dominant neighbor, the US wants to impose its values on Canada, but Canada asserts its unique cultural identity.
Power structures remain an abiding concern in Atwood’s writing. With “Backdrop Addresses Cowboy,” the historical moment adds further urgency to the need to examine power and domination. The poem belongs to Atwood’s output between 1965-75, a period in which American domination was a particularly dominant concern. The cold war between the US and Russia over increased nuclear armament was at its peak, and the US had entered a war with Vietnam. The Vietnam foray was particularly criticized because many considered it needless; in addition, reports of wartime violence and cruelty were rife. “Backdrop Addresses Cowboy” is a blistering critique of a culture that leads to such inequalities and senseless destruction.
Related Titles
By Margaret Atwood
