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70th out of 198 books
—
80 voters
The Trouble With Poetry - And Other Poems
Playfulness, spare elegance, and wit epitomize the poetry of Billy Collins. With his distinct voice and accessible language, America’s two-term Poet Laureate has opened the door to poetry for countless people for whom it might otherwise remain closed.
Like the present book’s title, Collins’s poems are filled with mischief, humor, and irony, “Poetry speaks to all people, it...more
Like the present book’s title, Collins’s poems are filled with mischief, humor, and irony, “Poetry speaks to all people, it...more
Paperback, 101 pages
Published
March 2007
by Random House Trade Paperbacks
(first published 2005)
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Collins excels because he's readable and reassuring, yet often surprising. I read this right before I go to bed - it's that kind of book. Accessibility with the option to think about it as much as I have the energy for. I wish he would write in different styles - everything starts out with something like "I was sitting in my living room peeling a pear and staring out the window...". Everything in first person ultra-conversational. He can get a little too playful at times, but rarely is he smug....more
This might be my favorite of his books. I haven't read all of them, but I have read most. It's the only one I can recall where he comes across, at times, as vulnerable or forlorn. He's always a master technician of the line, but also of this delicate, light-as-air tone. In this collection, there is sorrow, even a man contemplating his own mortality. That all really appealed to me. It takes him off the poetry pedestal and places him square in the ranks with the rest of us sincere-hearted fumblers...more
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I really liked this poet!
It was a lot like reading a modern Robert Frost (and I think that is a great compliment).
I like that this collection seemed to highlight the creative process throughout.
Favorites:
Drawing Class
I Ask You
Special Glasses
The Lanyard (a must read for mothers who feel unappreciated)
It was a lot like reading a modern Robert Frost (and I think that is a great compliment).
I like that this collection seemed to highlight the creative process throughout.
Favorites:
Drawing Class
I Ask You
Special Glasses
The Lanyard (a must read for mothers who feel unappreciated)
2 likes · like · see review
This is an accessible and enjoyable collection, if at times a little repetitive. At times I wanted to say okay Billy, I got it, you got up, made a cup of coffee, sat down and looked out the window, and wrote this poem.
On the other hand, The Lanyard is a pure delight, and universal in its conception and meaning. I also enjoyed the Reaper, Revenant, and Carry. A good book to introduce someone to contemporary poetry.
On the other hand, The Lanyard is a pure delight, and universal in its conception and meaning. I also enjoyed the Reaper, Revenant, and Carry. A good book to introduce someone to contemporary poetry.
I love Billy Collins style. I like how he twists the very last line of two. So far I think Sailing Alone arond the Room is my favorite.
1 like · like · see review
Favorite lines:
From "Carry"
I want to carry you
and for you to carry me
the way voices are said to carry over water.
"Flock"
It has been calculated that each copy of the
Gutenberg Bible required the skins of 300 sheep.
I can see them squeezed into the holding pen
behind the stone building
where the printing press is housed,
all of them squirming around
to find a little room
and looking so much alike
it would be nearly impossible
to count them,
and there is no telling
which one will carry the news
that the Lord...more
From "Carry"
I want to carry you
and for you to carry me
the way voices are said to carry over water.
"Flock"
It has been calculated that each copy of the
Gutenberg Bible required the skins of 300 sheep.
I can see them squeezed into the holding pen
behind the stone building
where the printing press is housed,
all of them squirming around
to find a little room
and looking so much alike
it would be nearly impossible
to count them,
and there is no telling
which one will carry the news
that the Lord...more
Collins has a way of capturing moments of wonder in verse that is graceful and lovely without calling attention to itself as difficult, the way so much poetry does. The moment can't be held; it passes through us, and these poems do also, but they leave me with the sensation of the writer living life well, living life alert to beauty and story in myriad ordinary moments.
I read most of this standing in Kramerbooks on Dupont Circle (as I am reading Omnivore's Dilemma). I intend to read many books for free here...
Oh! Collins's poetry is great. I wish I knew how Collins writes so artlessly and artfully at the same time. It's like he gets you to trust him by giving you down-to-earth material... and then all of the sudden by the final stanzas of a poem switches to a poignant lens that most readers probably would have thought was cheesy (not profound) had he not alrea...more
Oh! Collins's poetry is great. I wish I knew how Collins writes so artlessly and artfully at the same time. It's like he gets you to trust him by giving you down-to-earth material... and then all of the sudden by the final stanzas of a poem switches to a poignant lens that most readers probably would have thought was cheesy (not profound) had he not alrea...more
While reading this collection of poems I thought that the title should have had something to do with windows or mirror reflections. Then I read the poem titled "The Trouble with Poetry" and saw that Billy Collins couldn't lose with it. A poem begets a poem and that poem begets another poem. It's a great way to name a collection of poems.
I recently read "Picnic, Lightning" and loved the way Billy Collins described and thought about every day things. I wanted to read more poems like it, so I turne...more
I recently read "Picnic, Lightning" and loved the way Billy Collins described and thought about every day things. I wanted to read more poems like it, so I turne...more
The more poetry I read, the more simple I find Billy Collins. And then once he detects me finding him simple, he gives he a little lovetap to bring me back in line. The title poem:
The trouble with poetry, I realized...more
as I walked along a beach one night -
cold Florida sand under my bare feet,
a show of stars in the sky -
the trouble with poetry is
that it encourages the writing of more poetry,
more guppies crowding the fish tank,
more baby rabbits
hopping out of their mothers into the dewy grass.
And how w
1 like · like · see review
Always hard for me to rate a book of poems because one great, moving poem out of the collection could make the book 5 stars, as far as I'm concerned. But with this book, no such problems as there were many times in the book I stopped in mixture of awe, feeling, and, yes, jealousy. Billy Collins has the special magic of a poet who could stop and and notice and relate the most seemingly ordinary moments in life, and reveal the most precious, poignant, and profound that lies in anything. And also m...more
This is at least the 3rd Collins' book I've read and re-read, and I enjoyed it as much as the others, which is to say that I often force my boyfriend to sit still and listen to me reading him poem after poem because I enjoy so many of them so much. At the same time, Collins does have a tendency to have underwhelming poems thrown into the mix that really don't seem to have much of a point... kinda "Seinfeld" poems, where his sense of humor and/or powers of observation aren't quite enough to carry...more
It has been ages since I read a book of poetry. I really enjoyed this one. I think what I liked best was the everyday, ordinary quality of these poems.Some of my favorites:
Eastern Standard Time
The Long Day
Breathless
Care and Feeding
and for your enjoyment:
The Drive
There were four of us in the car
early that summer evening,
short-hopping from one place to another,
thrown together by a light toss of circumstance.
I was in the backseat
directly behind the driver who was talking
about one thing and another
w...more
Eastern Standard Time
The Long Day
Breathless
Care and Feeding
and for your enjoyment:
The Drive
There were four of us in the car
early that summer evening,
short-hopping from one place to another,
thrown together by a light toss of circumstance.
I was in the backseat
directly behind the driver who was talking
about one thing and another
w...more
Jan 23, 2010
Clif Brittain
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who like and don't like poetry.
The trouble with poetry is that I usually don't get it. Chickens in the rain and all that. I have even less of an ear for it. But actually, I do like the chickens in the rain stuff, as long as it is not too long.
I like Collins for three reasons:
His tastes are like mine. He likes the same things I do, dislikes the same things. So when he writes about the joy of hearing the Swan Silvertones, I have been there and enjoy that. He writes about some of life's perfect little moments that I've forgotten...more
I like Collins for three reasons:
His tastes are like mine. He likes the same things I do, dislikes the same things. So when he writes about the joy of hearing the Swan Silvertones, I have been there and enjoy that. He writes about some of life's perfect little moments that I've forgotten...more
I'd heard that Billy Collins was a very spare, yet accessible poet, and I found this collection to be very enjoyable and engaging. Of course, it's the first I've read of his collections, so perhaps I'll like others better. Still, he inspired me to write a poem, so I'll give this 4 stars and seek out other books of his at the library. Several of the poems were delightful and he has a quiet wit and humor evident in most of the poems in this collection.
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I was reminded, while reading this great poetry by America's former poet laureate, that good poetry is simple. But that simplicity is really hard to pull off and that's what makes one poet better than another. Collins is a master of simple poetry about every day things. And he is refreshing to read (and to listen to read).
excerpt from The Trouble with Poetry
The trouble with poetry, I realized
as I walked along a beach one night --
cold Florida sand under my bare feet,
as a show of stars in the sky...more
excerpt from The Trouble with Poetry
The trouble with poetry, I realized
as I walked along a beach one night --
cold Florida sand under my bare feet,
as a show of stars in the sky...more
In the title poem of this critically acclaimed and popular volume, Billy Collins writes:
the trouble with poetry is
that it encourages the writing of more poetry.
Wouldn't take it as a general principle, but in the case of Collins, its amazingly apt. (Snark snark.) I know I'm not doing him any favors reading him in juxtaposition with my tour of Robert Frost, but man this language is flat. Having finished, I can't remember a single image that took me anywhere I hadn't been a hundred times before. In...more
the trouble with poetry is
that it encourages the writing of more poetry.
Wouldn't take it as a general principle, but in the case of Collins, its amazingly apt. (Snark snark.) I know I'm not doing him any favors reading him in juxtaposition with my tour of Robert Frost, but man this language is flat. Having finished, I can't remember a single image that took me anywhere I hadn't been a hundred times before. In...more
I tend to really like Billy Collins poetry and the cover of this one looked so promising. I didn't enjoy this as much as I'd hoped but here were the poems I did love in part or in all:
"I Ask You" (p29)
I liked this poem best after the last handful of lines:
"So forgive me
if I lower my head and listen
to short bass candle as he takes a solo
while my heart
thrums under my shirt--
frog at the edge of the pond--
and my thoughts fly off to a province
composed of one enormous sky
and about a million empty bra...more
"I Ask You" (p29)
I liked this poem best after the last handful of lines:
"So forgive me
if I lower my head and listen
to short bass candle as he takes a solo
while my heart
thrums under my shirt--
frog at the edge of the pond--
and my thoughts fly off to a province
composed of one enormous sky
and about a million empty bra...more
Collins' works in general are well worth the read. In this collection he does well with sketches about everyday life. In some cases the poems seem too brief as if he believes what has been put down resonates more deeply and fully than it actually does, these missteps are few and the overall collection does not suffer much for it.
Some of the warmest and most accessible poetry I've read.
From poets and their need of windows:
Just think-
before the invention of the window,
the poets would have had to put on a jacket
and winter hat to go outside
or remain indoors with only a wall to stare at.
And when I say a wall,
I do not mean a wall with striped wallpaper
and a sketch of a cow in a frame.
I mean a cold wall of fieldstones,
the wall of the medieval sonnet,
the original woman's heart of stone,
the stone caught in the throat of her...more
From poets and their need of windows:
Just think-
before the invention of the window,
the poets would have had to put on a jacket
and winter hat to go outside
or remain indoors with only a wall to stare at.
And when I say a wall,
I do not mean a wall with striped wallpaper
and a sketch of a cow in a frame.
I mean a cold wall of fieldstones,
the wall of the medieval sonnet,
the original woman's heart of stone,
the stone caught in the throat of her...more
1 like · like · see review
Jul 27, 2011
Deb Oestreicher
added it
Billy Collins is an engaging poet--perhaps too engaging. Is that crazy to say? But it's disconcerting to have no problem reading a volume of poetry straight through. The poet's wordiness tends to do most of the work for you--the poems' meaning ends up feeling predigested. I have heard Collins read poems from this book and noticed then how poems seemed to end and then go on. I had mixed feelings about this; sometimes I felt that the poems would have been better ended in the earlier place; other t...more
This is the first I have read Billy Collins and I am glad to have come across him at this point. His verse is clear, concise and accessible. I don't know how appreciated he may be by younger readers, but he certainly appeals to my 40 something sensibility.
I heard Billy Collins read at the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry festival. I loved his sense of humor and the accessibility of his poetry. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of his poems, and have to admit that he reminded me of the bear on the book cover.
This is great poetry. As I have said before, poetry is not my native tongue; I struggle to gain even a glimpse of meaning or feeling from most poetry. That is not the case with Billy Collins's poetry. I'm sure I don't understand the depth of meaning embodied in his poetry, but I do understand something, I feel something. Which makes it all the more amazing to me that he was the Poet Laureate of the United States. That position seems to require someone of vague and amorphous nature. Billy Collins...more
It turns out that the trouble with poetry is that it leads to more poetry. I am inclined to agree. I lucked up on Collins during a pretty bleak year in my life, and found his surrealistic mixed with sincerity approach did a lot to lift me up. Soon after reading him I found myself writing poems where he snuck in as a character - you know me and him hanging out eating at a Whataburger, that kind of thing.
This book finds him taking on his usual subject matter - childhood, mortality, music, death, a...more
This book finds him taking on his usual subject matter - childhood, mortality, music, death, a...more
Billy Collins has a wonderfully clear, simple style of poetry that is embodied perfectly in this collection. In a way I wish I could mimic as a poet, Collins often takes a simple object and expands on it until it tells us so much more than we ever expected it to. A good example of it is "The Lanyard," which takes on a light and humorous tone as both childhood innocence and the importance of mothers is explored.
Collins also enjoys poking fun at things like "how to write poetry" books and appears...more
Collins also enjoys poking fun at things like "how to write poetry" books and appears...more
After being disgusted by Ballistics, I didn't figure I'd ever pick up Billy again. But I found his poems multiple times in anthologies, and liked them. I was surprised to realize they were his, because they were so good. And so I found another book hoping I'd like him. I don't. Those poems I liked were earlier, much earlier, from the nineties. Everything I've found more recent is worse. So unless I find his very first book of poems, I won't seek out any more Billy.
I should note what I don't lik...more
I should note what I don't lik...more
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Billy Collins, where have you been all my life? A friend recommended him as her favorite poet, and now he's mine too. My first encounter was listening to a recording of him reading poetry selections (Billy Collins Live: A Performance at the Peter Norton Symphony Space -- I got it from the library). I slipped it in the CD player on my way home from the library -- a dangerous idea, because soon I was laughing out loud and clapping my hands (not wise while driving).
I highly recommend listening firs...more
I highly recommend listening firs...more
things I could do everyday:
#1. read The lanyard by Billy Collins
#2. read You, Reader by Billy Collins
#3. Eat a grapefruit
#4. drink 5 cups of coffee
#1. read The lanyard by Billy Collins
#2. read You, Reader by Billy Collins
#3. Eat a grapefruit
#4. drink 5 cups of coffee
I'll be honest. As a teacher, I have both loved and hated teaching poetry. I'm not literate enough in the genre to grasp it all the time. Poetry tends to be elusive to me.
This particular book was a mix of understanding and confusion. The poems I did understand were simple poems that I found enjoyable because I felt like I would have those same wandering thoughts. I didn't find them profound or deep even while I enjoyed them. Probably 60-70% of the poems left me thinking, "Hm. Okaaaayyyy." I jus...more
This particular book was a mix of understanding and confusion. The poems I did understand were simple poems that I found enjoyable because I felt like I would have those same wandering thoughts. I didn't find them profound or deep even while I enjoyed them. Probably 60-70% of the poems left me thinking, "Hm. Okaaaayyyy." I jus...more
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William A. ("Billy") Collins is an American poet. He served two terms as the Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001 to 2003. In his home state, Collins has been recognized as a Literary Lion of the New York Public Library (1992) and selected as the New York State Poet for 2004.
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“...the trouble with poetry is
that it encourages the writing of more poetry...
”
—
41 people liked it
that it encourages the writing of more poetry...
”
“I could feel the day offering itself to me,
and I wanted nothing more
than to be in the moment-but which moment?
Not that one, or that one, or that one,”
—
29 people liked it
More quotes…
and I wanted nothing more
than to be in the moment-but which moment?
Not that one, or that one, or that one,”
Apr 22, 2009 03:23pm