politerobot

This book of poetry has become one of my favourites. From the start I instantly understood I would love Atwood's poetry. I haven't read any of her other fiction, but I surely will.

The poetry is both moving, sensual, sad, angry and at times even funny. I love how she covers such vast topics, yet manages to make the book feel whole and interconnected. Her Circe/Mud Poems were delicious to the literary feminist in me, and everything else appealed to everything else in me, simply. The language flows so easily, yet is complex and thought provoking. The way she plays with line breaks and the meanings of words made me all giddy. And then there is the tone of strength running through every one of the poems.

I loved several of the poems, and read them again and again. Still two sticks out very clearly in my mind after finishing the book: "Song of the Fox" and "Late August". The fox-poem was so harsh and sad, it really crept under my skin. It might be my personal favourite. "Late August" was both endearing, sweet, warm and moving, and at the same time there's this current of sadness running beneath it. Brilliance.

Marvellous poetry, no doubt about it.