Post by camasci35 on May 20, 2012 15:58:17 GMT -5
“Accessible” is the word most often used to describe Billy Collins’ poetry, much to his chagrin but that word alone has inspired the invitation of Collins here today in an effort to access the high school student mind through the creative medium of poetry. As a young child Collins’ mother often recited verses from various works, and just like our parents influence our futures Collins’ mother later influenced his works. Heralded the “most popular poet in America” by The New York Times Collins enjoys a high degree of success, earning various titles and awards that include U.S Poet Laureate from 2001 to 2003 and the 1994 Poet of the Year by the U.S magazine Poetry.
In today’s modern world, many claim that poetry is dead, but Collins has reversed that sentence, instead creating poetry that allows the average American to understand and become engaged in it once again. Collins’ poetry is welcoming because it discusses everyday topics that anyone can relate to, which is how he has achieved such popularity. In the words of critic Thom Geier from Entertainment Weekly “Billy Collins is the Oprah of poetry” and he has not only found success for himself but he has popularized the art of poetry in the modern era of technology.
Collins’ poetry seems to consist of his random thoughts and musings which cause us, the reader, to think about what is being presented before them, but not in a way that is too strenuous for light reading. Collins also successfully immerses the reader in his work by addressing the reader as “you” which makes his poems more personal and conversational, in fact many of his poems read like a conversation. His poems are best described as intriguing because they discuss what we, as busy 21st century Americans, often do not notice about the world around us. I myself had never considered why upon death life must flash before one’s eyes when “wouldn’t you hope/ for a more leisurely review, an invisible hand/ turning the pages of an album of photographs” with time for reflection as Collins speculates in his poem “The Art of Drowning”.
In 2005 Collins was the first annual recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for Humor in Poetry, no doubt due to the inability to suppress a chuckle while reading his works. Collins’ masterful use of humor in his poetry is so effective because it defies the stigma that all poetry is emotional and dark while also alleviating the stress that so many Americans feel. Whether regaling the story of an Italian squirrel who begins to “sing in a beautiful voice/ a melancholy aria about life and death,/ his forepaws clutched against his chest” or writing about refusing to complicate his poem “Bread and Butter” while gently mocking poetry itself, Collins’ light-heartedness and use of humor make his works so enjoyable. Amongst criticism that there's little in Collins’ work for Ph.D. students to puzzle over or decipher, we, the average American, find delight in Collins once again making poetry “accessible” (sorry) to the general public’s enjoyment. Put simply, Collins’ poetry is fun to read.
Now, ladies and gentlemen please prepare to laugh and have your thoughts provoked and join me in welcoming Billy Collins.
In today’s modern world, many claim that poetry is dead, but Collins has reversed that sentence, instead creating poetry that allows the average American to understand and become engaged in it once again. Collins’ poetry is welcoming because it discusses everyday topics that anyone can relate to, which is how he has achieved such popularity. In the words of critic Thom Geier from Entertainment Weekly “Billy Collins is the Oprah of poetry” and he has not only found success for himself but he has popularized the art of poetry in the modern era of technology.
Collins’ poetry seems to consist of his random thoughts and musings which cause us, the reader, to think about what is being presented before them, but not in a way that is too strenuous for light reading. Collins also successfully immerses the reader in his work by addressing the reader as “you” which makes his poems more personal and conversational, in fact many of his poems read like a conversation. His poems are best described as intriguing because they discuss what we, as busy 21st century Americans, often do not notice about the world around us. I myself had never considered why upon death life must flash before one’s eyes when “wouldn’t you hope/ for a more leisurely review, an invisible hand/ turning the pages of an album of photographs” with time for reflection as Collins speculates in his poem “The Art of Drowning”.
In 2005 Collins was the first annual recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for Humor in Poetry, no doubt due to the inability to suppress a chuckle while reading his works. Collins’ masterful use of humor in his poetry is so effective because it defies the stigma that all poetry is emotional and dark while also alleviating the stress that so many Americans feel. Whether regaling the story of an Italian squirrel who begins to “sing in a beautiful voice/ a melancholy aria about life and death,/ his forepaws clutched against his chest” or writing about refusing to complicate his poem “Bread and Butter” while gently mocking poetry itself, Collins’ light-heartedness and use of humor make his works so enjoyable. Amongst criticism that there's little in Collins’ work for Ph.D. students to puzzle over or decipher, we, the average American, find delight in Collins once again making poetry “accessible” (sorry) to the general public’s enjoyment. Put simply, Collins’ poetry is fun to read.
Now, ladies and gentlemen please prepare to laugh and have your thoughts provoked and join me in welcoming Billy Collins.