Selected Poems : 1965-1975

Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Composition
Review: I first became interested in Ms. Atwood after reading one of her poems from Power Politics in a college text book: you fit into me/ like a hook into an eye/ an open eye/ a fish hook.. Selected Poems, 1965-1975 was my first purchase of her poetry, and I was not disappointed. This book is an exquisite example of Margaret Atwood's vivid imagery and examination of human relationships. One poem in this collection, titled Against Still Life, compares her relationship with a man to the frustration of not being able to touch an orange used for a still life painting. The poems cover a wide range of emotions, ranging from elaborate and lengthy to simple and brief. Each poem creates beautiful, lucid images in the mind of the reader. Her usage of biting wit and sarcasm resembles that of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, but does not offend the reader with and excessive usage of suicidal energy or feminist rage that tends to pollute the work of the aforementioned poets. Since reading Selected Poems, 1965-1975, I have read many other volumes of Margaret Atwood's poetry, but none have touched me as deeply. This is also a great example of Atwood's earlier works, many of which are not available outside of this book, as the original volumes are now out of print. I would suggest this book for lovers of other Atwood writing, including her novels and short stories. This book is a definitive asset to any collector of her works.

Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Composition
Review: I first became interested in Ms. Atwood after reading one of her poems from Power Politics in a college text book: you fit into me/ like a hook into an eye/ an open eye/ a fish hook.. Selected Poems, 1965-1975 was my first purchase of her poetry, and I was not disappointed. This book is an exquisite example of Margaret Atwood's vivid imagery and examination of human relationships. One poem in this collection, titled Against Still Life, compares her relationship with a man to the frustration of not being able to touch an orange used for a still life painting. The poems cover a wide range of emotions, ranging from elaborate and lengthy to simple and brief. Each poem creates beautiful, lucid images in the mind of the reader. Her usage of biting wit and sarcasm resembles that of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, but does not offend the reader with and excessive usage of suicidal energy or feminist rage that tends to pollute the work of the aforementioned poets. Since reading Selected Poems, 1965-1975, I have read many other volumes of Margaret Atwood's poetry, but none have touched me as deeply. This is also a great example of Atwood's earlier works, many of which are not available outside of this book, as the original volumes are now out of print. I would suggest this book for lovers of other Atwood writing, including her novels and short stories. This book is a definitive asset to any collector of her works.