THE CIRCLE GAME
The Circle Game
Breaking the cycles of domesticity and the boundaries of language
First published in 1966, The Circle Game is the collection that announced Margaret Atwood as a major force in Canadian literature. Winning the Governor General's Award, these poems showcase Atwood’s signature precision and her ability to dissect the mundane to reveal the underlying tensions of power, gender, and the environment.
The title poem, and the collection as a whole, critiques the repetitive and often claustrophobic patterns of human behavior—the "circles" we draw around ourselves and others. Atwood explores how maps, glass, and walls serve as metaphors for the ways we try to contain and define reality, only to find ourselves trapped by our own definitions. Her imagery is sharp, often cold, and strikingly original, stripping away the romanticism of domestic life to expose the "games" people play in their intimate relationships.
For readers familiar with her later novels, The Circle Game offers a fascinating glimpse into the thematic seeds that would grow into works like The Handmaid's Tale. Here, the struggle for autonomy and the distrust of easy structures are already central. It is a haunting, intellectual, and deeply rewarding collection that remains as relevant today as it was in the 1960s, reminding us that breaking the circle is the first step toward true sight.
The Trap of Perspective
"I want the world to be / real and outside me." This yearning for an unmediated reality is the heartbeat of Atwood's poetry, challenging the reader to look past the symbols and maps we use to hide from existence.