“[you fit into me]” is a succinct four-line poem written by renowned author and activist Margaret Atwood. “[you fit into me]” was published in Atwood’s eighth collection of poetry, Power Politics, in 1971. The poem discusses the tumultuous nature of love, using a singular simile to describe how a seemingly innocent romantic connection can turn violent (see: Poem Analysis).

Atwood’s works encompass a variety of themes including power politics, gender and identity, religion and myth, and the human condition at large. Atwood rejects the label of “feminist,” instead arguing that her poetry and prose are works of “social realism” (see: Contextual Analysis). Atwood’s literary models include the playwright Samuel Beckett and novelist Franz Kafka. Atwood blends the absurdist comedy and queries of Beckett’s works with Kafka’s realism to create her own unique style of writing. Many of Atwood’s poems expose the duality that exists in the world—love and hate; beauty and pain—offering readers insight into the world around them that otherwise goes unnoticed. “[you fit into me]” highlights Atwood’s careful and clever handling of the poetic form, offering readers a simple description of the complexities of love.

Poet Biography

Critically acclaimed poet, novelist, essayist, and activist Margaret Atwood was born on November 18, 1939 in Ottawa, Canada. Atwood graduated with honors from Victoria College at the University of Toronto (1961), earning her bachelor of arts in English with minors in philosophy and French. She went on to become a Woodrow Wilson fellow at Radcliffe College, earning her master of arts in English Literature.

Atwood first gained public attention as a poet in the early 1960s with the publication of two full-length collections: Double Persephone (1961) and The Circle Game (1964). Double Persephone (1961) contrasts life and art, exposing the difference between natural and human creations. The Circle Game (1964) takes these comparisons one step further, placing the human constructs of love and literature in direct opposition to the harshness of nature. Atwood is constantly aware of opposites, subverting her audience’s expectations with an adroit sleight of hand. Both of these collections introduce themes that Atwood continues to interrogate in her contemporary poetry.

Prominent themes across Atwood’s poetry and prose include power politics, gender, identity, religion, and comparisons of the natural and human world. Atwood’s poems often subvert expectations, deviating from traditional tropes in order to expose the hidden underbelly of contemporary issues. Many of Atwood’s poems are inspired by myths, folklore, and fairy tales (see: Further Reading & Resources), giving agency to the mythical female figures that were otherwise characterized as damsels in distress.

Atwood’s consistent critiques of the suffering of women across her breadth of work is notably feminist; however, her popularity within the feminist community was unsought (see: Contextual Analysis). Her novel The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) is a favorite among modern feminists. The Handmaid’s Tale is a futuristic dystopian novel in which a patriarchal, totalitarian state, known as the Republic of Gilead, overthrows the United States government, subjugating women and stripping them of all bodily and reproductive rights. Images from Atwood’s novel are common across protests signs and social media posts critiquing modern patriarchy. However, none of the horrors Atwood portrays in the novel are all together fictitious, but rather, are taken from real life. Atwood observes the world around her and writes about it, never shying away from the gruesome and horrific.

Atwood’s literary oeuvre is vast, including but not limited to 18 collections of poetry, 18 novels, 11 works of nonfiction, nine collections of short fiction stories, eight children’s books, and two graphic novels. She has been recognized internationally for her writing through awards and honorary degrees, including two Booker Prizes, the Arthur C. Clare Award, the Franz Kafka Prize, and the National Book Critics and PEN Center USA Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Atwood has served as a Writer-In-Residence and lecturer at many colleges and universities throughout her career, inspiring the next generation of writers. She currently lives in Toronto, Canada.

Poem Text

Atwood, Margaret. “[you fit into me].” 1971. The Poetry Foundation.

Summary

“[you fit into me]” by Margaret Atwood is a short poem that exposes the dangers of love through a singular, clever simile (see: Literary Devices). The first stanza of the poem speaks to a growing connection between two lovers, while the second stanza twists that connection until it becomes painful.