This month, we will draw our depth from Margaret Atwood's first published collection of poems, The Circle Game (1966).
Up until this point, we have looked at poems as a single and most distilled unit of expression- each in their own right with their own voice. Atwood's Circle Game is sure to bring new perspective for reading poetry with a widened lens. To possibly start to understand how the game of entire game of a collected works of poetry plays upon an author's mind, most treasured themes and directions- the very things that unleashes their creative madness? Let's begin here (forgive the underlining, this is my personal copy and I was thrilled out of my wits!!):
This is one of my favorite introductions. It has kept me thinking each day as I read the poems and consider what type of question that they ask in this bigger "circle game" of a collection. I find it provocative, but considerate in its description because it gives us information for the entire workds as well as the freedom to be our own reader- to continue and enjoy in our own way. It's exciting to think about.
ReplyDeleteI love that Atwood writes The Circle Game with the reader in mind as part of the game. That's fun and a great idea.
ReplyDelete1966! I'm curious how Atwood would talk about the collection today.
I'm going to try to read The Circle Game as a complete work, more like a book or story than I usually do for a poem.
I've read up through Jan 25's post and I have really been trying to read it like a story, but I am not having as much success as the introduction suggests. Although I thoroughly enjoy a lot of the poems! I think that I prefer to read a variety of authors and poems versus reading through a whole poetry book of one author because things seem to start to blur together and what I love about them so much becomes less iconic. How do you feel?
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