The Circle Game (collection)
The Circle Game is a poetry collection written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood in 1964. The book was a highly acclaimed work of poetry and was the winner of the 1966 Governor General's Award.
Titular Poem
The titular poem "The Circle Game" is about the famous children's game also known as "ring around a rosie" which at first glance seems to be an innocent and fun kid's game, but if you really listen and think about it, it reveals a deeper, disturbing truth to this game.
Motifs
As in most of Atwood's works, this collection of poetry explores many tensions or dualities such as the tensions between man and woman, perception and reality, and many more. This collection focuses particularly on the tension between perception and reality where at first glance something may seem harmless, maybe even friendly, but upon deeper inspection you discover a usually dark, sad, or disturbing truth.