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In-depth Facts:
Name of poetMargaret Eleanor Atwood
Date of birthNovember 18, 1939
Place of birthOttawa, Ontario
Favored meter(s) and rhyme scheme(s)None
Favored named form(s) Free verse
Poetic and political movements to which the poet belongedCanadian nationalist poets of the 1960s
Related poetsGwendolyn McEwen, Milton Acorn, Michael Ondaatje, Jay McPherson
ThemesCivilization vs. wilderness; the inevitability of death
MotifsPhotographs
SymbolsThe snake; the moon; the female body
Other relevant factsAtwood is perhaps most famous for her novels, among them The Handmaid’s Tale (1985), Cat’s Eye (1988), and The Blind Assassin, which was awarded the Booker Prize in 2000. Two other recent novels, Alias Grace (1996) and Oryx and Crake (2003), have both been international bestsellers.
