I’ve been reading Margaret Atwood since I discovered The Handmaid’s Tale on a friend’s mother’s bookshelf when I was in 8th grade. She is one of my favorite authors, and I was excited to read Paper Boat: New and Selected Poems: 1961-2023. The collection is organized chronologically, allowing readers to witness the evolution of Atwood’s craft and understand why her influence on the literary world has been so profound. She is adept at taking seemingly mundane objects and moments and turning them into encounters that make readers pause, think, and reread–often multiple times. My students often exclaim, “What just happened?” after they read “This Is a Photograph of Me,” and then analyze and discuss to try to unlock the complexities of the text. I love the discussions of Atwood’s poetry in my classroom and how the poems invite multiple entry points for interpretation.

The poems in Paper Boat: New and Selected Poems: 1961-2023 show Atwood’s affinity for Greek Mythology, women’s issues, and navigating relationships making this collection perfect for readers interested in an introduction to her poetry as well as readers who are familiar with her work. There were many poems that were new to me and some I consider old friends. I highly recommend this text!

Long live Margaret! I love this author so much. There is something so down to earth about her. Her poetry is so approachable. I am not a poetry expert by any means. This entire giant tome was a pleasure to read.

Even if you're not normally a poetry reader, this is quite enjoyable, and I definitely recommend it.

…and that’s what poetry is: a hot wire. You might as well stick a fort in a wall socket. from sor juana works in the garden by Margaret Atwood

Golly, I loved this collection of poems from across Atwood’s career. She addresses so many things: nature, marriage, the oppression of women, aging, disease, grief, the ‘plasticine’ age, the writer’s life, the transience of fame. She recreates the lives of historical womens, including an immigrant to Canada and a woman hung for being a witch who survived.

Here are some of my favorites.

the small cabin describes returning to the burnt ruins of a house once lived in. Nostalgia for previous homes always draw me in; I never recovered from the loss of my first home.

miss july grows older reflects on the loss of a sexual life, with the terrific line, “But after a while these flesh arpeggios get boring, like Bach over and over; too much of one kind of glory.”

the loneliness of the military historian who believes “Wars happen because the ones who start them think they can win,” and continues, “But rats and cholera have won many wars.”

half-hanged mary is the chilling story of a woman who may have been Atwood’s ancestor. Mary Webster was accused of witchcraft and hung overnight; the next morning her body was taken down and she was found to be alive. She tells her story, saying “My audience is God, because who the hell else could understand me? Who else has been dead twice?”

flowers recounts a dying father, whose “suffering you can neither cure nor enter–there are worse things, but not many.” Having spent two months at my dying father’s bedside, this poem especially affects me.

In the daylight we know
what’s gone is gone,
but at night it’s different.
Nothing gets finished,
not dying, not mourning;
the dead repeat themselves, like clumsy drunks
lurching sideways through the doors
we open to them in sleep;
these slurred guests, never entirely welcome,
even those we have loved the most,
especially those we have loved the most,
returning from where we shoved them
away too quickly:
from under the ground, from under the water,
they clutch at us, they clutch at us,
we won’t let go.

from two dreams, 2 by Margaret Atwood

I loved these lines from crickets : “September. Wild aster. Fox grapes, tiny and bitter,/ the indigo taste of winter/already blooming inside them.”

And from owl and pussycat, some years later, considering the role of an aging artist in the world: “Whatever/made us think we could change the world?/Us and our clever punctuation marks.” She continues, “But surely there is still/a job to be done by us, at least/time to be passed; for instance, we could/celebrate inner beauty. Gardens./ Love and desire. Lust. Children. Social justice/of various kinds. Include fear and war./Describe what it is to be tired.” And ends, “But sing on, sing/on, someone may still be listening/besides me.”

We are listening still. Sing it, girl.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.

*Paper Boat* by Margaret Atwood is a beautifully crafted work that blends poetic elegance with emotional depth. Atwood's mastery of language shines through, creating a vivid and poignant exploration of memory, loss, and resilience. It's a captivating read that lingers long after the final page.

Sometimes, I read a poem, and I feel a strong connection to the reader's stream of consciousness, the way they muddle through, managing to convey meaning with a few fumbling words. Margaret Atwood's poems are not like that at all. Not only is it obvious that Atwood has studied poetic form, she uses it with ruthless skill, masterfully employing meter, rhyme, pattern, and style in a way that feels both shrewdly specific and hopelessly effortless. Maybe it's a little bit like gatekeeping to say that not all poetry is created equal, but when I compare what essentially feels like word vomit to the precisely chosen words in each of Atwood's lines, I really wish I could send a few free verse poets to take a poetry class. Poetic form feels like it could be restricting, but once you understand where each form excels, it leaves even more space for freedom of expression than any free verse poem could ever hope to achieve. I don't love every poem in this book; some of them make me feel things I'd rather not feel, and others describe experiences that I can't easily empathize with. But I remain in awe at Atwood's ability to create meaning with a few very precise word choices, and I have a great deal of respect for anyone who so obviously understands the craft of poetry and isn't afraid to use it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I am fascinated by the variety of style in Atwood's poetry. I realize this is a compilation of poetry from earlier books so it probably is showing the development of her style. As a poet myself, I'm learning lots about different ways to write.

It has been my joy to read Margaret Atwood‘s work for some time and I frequently share her words with my students in English classes. Atwood may be best known for fiction, but she’s written in graphic novel form, as well as in poetry. Paper Boat is another strong entry from a writer who clearly knows what she is doing. These glimpses of the author’s viewpoint are wonderful introductions, as well as revisits, for readers who enjoy her longer works, including prose.

I was entranced by her trademark lyrical prose and the depth of emotion infused into every page. The narrative beautifully explores themes of loss, longing, and the passage of time, all while maintaining a poignant sense of introspection. Atwood's imagery is striking, evoking vivid scenes that linger long after reading.

I’ve been reading Margaret Atwood for decades, starting with her first novel, The Edible Woman (1969). And although I have read a lot of her poetry in the past, I find that a poem’s meaning changes with the decades and with one’s life experiences. So these poems seem fresh and timely to me.

Although best known for her novels, Atwood has been as prolific a poet as novelist, and as great a master of the form. She began writing poetry at age 6, and began publishing poetry in her college literary journal in the late1950s. Since the early 1960s, she has published 18 poetry collections. She writes of love and death, myth and mystery, politics and the power of language, as well as contemporary themes of gender, identity, the natural environment, and climate change.

This is a lengthy compendium, an abundance of riches, a wonderful gift, but it would be difficult to read straight through. Treasure each piece and savor the collection over time. Return to it again and again. This is beautiful, vivid writing. Atwood is always perceptive, always relevant. She always has something important to say and I’ll always be there to hear it.

I'm really looking forward to the audiobook, too, especially since Atwood reads it.

Thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, as well as NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book, which will be published in early October, 2024.

She's such a talented writer, it's always stunning to read her words and experience their depth.

I love the breadth of poetry included in this collection.

It's too much poetry in one go. It's literally her life's work as a poet. But you can always count on Atwood when it comes to musings on love, death, the primal perspective, and nature. You see the waves of time crash with the way her themes coalesce and become. It's a real treat. Much like watching the evening tides take up noise and shape over ancient rocks by moonlight. At one point you're in awe. At other points you wonder when you should leave or stay.

Definitely something wonderful to have by the bedside amongst other readings over a span of a few months or even a year. Because, it's a lot. Like A LOT.

Paper Boat by Margaret Atwood is a book of poetry composed of columns of brief, prickly words. As with her novels the reader is pulled into the writing. The poems are mysterious and mesmerizing and worthy of the work. Recommended for readers who enjoy a challenging collection.

Paper Boat was a story of journey, experience, life. Biographies, autobiographies, memoirs are always a pull for me. This was no exception. Learning of other individuals lives through the lenses of them is always humbling and insightful. Thankful for the opportunity to read this passage and carry new pieces of information with me.

When I first saw this collection on Netgalley, I requested it so fast. I didn't even read the description. I saw "poetry" and "Margaret Atwood," and I was sold! The length of this collection is bitter sweet. On one hand, I found it difficult to make my way through such contrasting pieces without getting fatigued. BUT on the other hand, this is a wonderful collection to have on your shelf and grow with. What I mean is that you could pick up this collection at any stage of life and find a season of Atwood's poetry to steep in. This collection isn't meant to be read in one sitting. It's meant to be poured over, and steeped in over time. I really enjoyed this collection and plan to purchase a physical copy to keep on my shelf and go back to over time.

Anything thing by Miss Atwood is bound to be great! Her writing to me is raw and honest. So I knew I was going to love these poems. Even if you are not into poetry you will find something that you connect with in this collection.

I will always love everything Atwood releases. I’d never actually read any of her poetry before, and I think this volume was the perfect primer to get started. It encompasses such a wide span of her career and gave me a glimpse into a new aspect of Atwood’s writing that I can’t wait to explore further.

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=4.5 | 😘=3.5 | 🤬=3 | ⚔️=2 | 15/16+

summary: a bunch of Atwood poems from the last like 60 years

thoughts: this is… SO much poetry. it’s a lot! and much of it was very, very good. this is something to be savored, slowly, over a long period of time.

This book of poetry by Margaret Atwood is a collection of poems she's written throughout her life and career. Her poetry style changes a bit as does her subject matter so it is really fascinating to read through it. I think Atwood's poetry is not necessarily for everyone, and the wide range of poetry time points means some of it feels much more relatable or interesting than others. A good book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 out of 5 stars

What a long span of time this book covers: over six decades of scribbling thoughts on paper (keyboard?).

This was quite a bit longer than the other books of poetry I got for review from NetGalley/Knopf, and while I enjoyed this book, I think it was my least favorite of the six. That is not to say it is bad by any means, I just feel like I did not connect with these like I did the other books. For some reason, at lot of these felt more like micro-stories than poems.

Still, I have my favorites: two gardens, procedures from underground, he is a strange biological phenomenon, some of the untitle ones from Power Politics, late august (hands down my favorite, but I could not tell you why), two-headed poems (which was a little longer than most of the other poems), the arrest of the stockbroker, earth, disturbed earth, semptember mushrooms, and wlaking in the madman's wood.

Her poetry like her fiction is beautiful I loved getting the chance to read this collection .Will be dipping in and out and cherishing each poem.Thanks#netgalley #knopf