Playfulness, spare elegance, and wit epitomize the poetry of Billy Collins." "With his distinct voice and accessible language, America's two-term P...
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reviews
Aug 27, 2010
Shawn
rated it: 
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...". Every one, it seems like, in first person ultra-conversational. He can get a little Hallmarky, More...
peeling a pear and staring out the window...". Every one, it seems like, in first person ultra-conversational. He can get a little Hallmarky, More...
Nov 25, 2008
Emma
rated it: 
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
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Jan 20, 2009
Cami
rated it: 
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)
Feb 10, 2009
Bruce
rated it:
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.
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Dec 17, 2008
Tawny
rated it:
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 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 More...
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Jan 07, 2009
Kate
rated it:
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.
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May 01, 2007
Jordan
rated it:
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) 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) More...
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Jan 10, 2012
Cornelio
rated it:
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
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Aug 04, 2011
Kasandra
rated it:
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 enoug
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Apr 24, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
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.
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.
More...
Jan 23, 2010
Clif
rated it:
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 litt 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 litt More...
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Oct 29, 2008
H.N.
rated it:
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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Jun 11, 2011
Mark
rated it:
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 f 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 f More...
Jul 17, 2010
Carm
rated it:
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 thought 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 thought More...
Apr 07, 2009
AC
rated it:
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.
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Sep 07, 2011
Gloria
rated 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 m 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 m More...
Jul 27, 2011
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; ot
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Aug 05, 2011
Hansen
rated it:
Collins is known for bringing an existential depth and heartwarming simplicity of life to poetry with incredible ease and humor. In “The Trouble with Poetry” he takes his art perhaps too far toward lesser goals of clever insight and wordplay, nearly the entire fourth section being devoted to clichés—the fine exception being the titular poem, which bears a common Collins theme of poetry about poetry: “How will it ever end unless the day finally arrives when we have compared everything in the worl
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Feb 14, 2009
Bill
rated it:
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.
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Nov 14, 2008
Marti
rated it:
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.
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Nov 15, 2011
Rebecca
rated it:
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 writ More...
Collins also enjoys poking fun at things like "how to writ More...
May 08, 2009
Whitney
rated it:
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 li More...
I highly recommend li More...
Dec 16, 2009
Malbadeen
rated it:
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
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Aug 29, 2010
Ted
rated it:
Awesome.
I would've been more into poetry sooner if I'd discovered Collins years ago.
One of the blurbs on the inside from book reviewers says something about his self-deprecating humor and his disdain for all things pretentious. I think that that's really the key to his genius. He doesn't take himself, or his poetry too serious and he has to be the most accessible poet since Shel Silverstein. This isn't children's poetry, and it isn't aggressively satirical though. It's co More...
I would've been more into poetry sooner if I'd discovered Collins years ago.
One of the blurbs on the inside from book reviewers says something about his self-deprecating humor and his disdain for all things pretentious. I think that that's really the key to his genius. He doesn't take himself, or his poetry too serious and he has to be the most accessible poet since Shel Silverstein. This isn't children's poetry, and it isn't aggressively satirical though. It's co More...
Sep 16, 2007
Allen
rated it: 
The trouble with Billy Collins is he has one formula for a poem which he works over and over.
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May 12, 2011
Tyler
rated it:
You are busy, so to keep this short. I'll just list all the adjectives I was going to employ in my review. Smart person that you are, I’m sure you can fill in the blanks.
Brilliant. Charming. Disarming. Friendly. Conspiratorial. Whimsical. Smug. Off-handed.
I see that, each word sitting alone cries out for explanation. Smug? That sounds pretty harsh! Oh, well. I really liked it (four stars!) so obviously the tones of smugness didn’t bother me too much. Besides it is a self- More...
Brilliant. Charming. Disarming. Friendly. Conspiratorial. Whimsical. Smug. Off-handed.
I see that, each word sitting alone cries out for explanation. Smug? That sounds pretty harsh! Oh, well. I really liked it (four stars!) so obviously the tones of smugness didn’t bother me too much. Besides it is a self- More...
Jun 29, 2010
Mindy
rated it:
Later: This was a lovely collection. Perfect for beginning my poetry summer. I read it through three times. My favorites were "Flock" and "The Lanyard."
Earlier: I have decided to read nothing but poetry this summer since I've become something of a reading machine (just grinding through things, not feeling much about them anymore, I blame law school with my whole heart). This is what I'm starting with. The cool thing about poetry is I can read the same book over an More...
Earlier: I have decided to read nothing but poetry this summer since I've become something of a reading machine (just grinding through things, not feeling much about them anymore, I blame law school with my whole heart). This is what I'm starting with. The cool thing about poetry is I can read the same book over an More...
Jun 12, 2009
Cole
rated it:
A surprise "just because" gift from my friend Nathan, I read this book tonight in one sitting. I wanted to get out of the house, but no one was available, so I cracked the cover planning to read just one poem and ended up finishing the collection. Although graduate school has made me wonder if I will ever truly "read for pleasure" again (without a pen and a pencil and a higlighter and a straightedge in hand), Collins once again proved his poems are like butter cookies-- swe
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Dec 29, 2008
jacky
rated it:
I just bought $300 worth of books for my classroom library and one area I focused on was getting more poetry books for my sophomores to use for their up coming unit. Sadly, the bookstore I was at had a pitiful section, yet I was able to find this book by a poet I wanted to represent.
I picked it up to read during their writing time because it is something easy to come and go from as well as being inspired by just finishing a book by Karen Hesse and watching my students continue to More...
I picked it up to read during their writing time because it is something easy to come and go from as well as being inspired by just finishing a book by Karen Hesse and watching my students continue to More...
