How many books of poetry have been published by Margaret Atwood?
Over the course of her wide-ranging literary career, Margaret Atwood has established herself as an accomplished and celebrated poet through the publication of over 15 volumes of poetry spanning decades. Though perhaps best known for fiction works like The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood’s rise began with her groundbreaking poetry and she has continually returned to the form over her six-decade career.
Emergence of a Poetic Voice - Atwood's Early Poetry Career in the 1960s
Atwood’s first collection, Double Persephone, was published in 1961 when she was only 22 years old. This inaugurated a prolific decade of poetry publications including The Circle Game (1964), winner of Canada's top poetry prize, and seminal collections like The Animals in That Country (1968) and The Journals of Susanna Moodie (1970).
Prolific Decades - Atwood's Impactful Poetry in the 1980s and 1990s
In the 1980s and 1990s, Atwood continued producing impactful poetry books at a steady pace, alternating between fiction and verse. Notable works from this period include Interlunar (1984), Morning in the Burned House (1995), and Eating Fire: Selected Poetry 1965–1995, a career retrospective. She also published her first literary criticism, Survival, analyzing Canadian literature.
Continued Artistic Output - Atwood's Poetry in the 2000s and 2010s
Atwood’s poetry output remained consistent in the 2000s and 2010s, even as she gained fame for novels like The Blind Assassin and Oryx and Crake. Recent poetry collections include The Door (2007), The Circle Game (2014), and Dearly (2020). To date, Atwood has published over 15 books of poetry spanning six decades.
Enduring Legacy - Margaret Atwood's Contribution to Canadian Poetry and Literature
Over a literary career remarkable for both its poetry and fiction, Margaret Atwood has firmly established herself as a leading voice in contemporary Canadian poetry through the publication of over fifteen volumes reflecting her unique imagination and insights into language, nature, identity, and love. Her poems exhibit her lyrical yet incisive perspective.
