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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Billy Collins is like the kindly and eccentric neighbor you imagine having, the kind of older man in a quirky, but stylish, sweater who would probably invite you in for tea, but pour you a glass of scotch instead. I don’t know what that means, but it’s the vibe his poetry gives me, so I’m sticking with it.
I’ve been meaning to get back to reading poetry on a semi-regular basis, and Collins’ new book seemed like the gateway I needed. And it was! He has a knack for clever, pithy turns-of-phrase that strike the perfect balance between charm and sadness, and that remains the case throughout the poems collected here. But there was also something missing, for me. I usually find a lot of emotion and intention coursing through the veins of his poetry, but this book seems to have less of that than I was expecting and hoping for. Maybe it’s his very real, looming preoccupation with death, which permeates through most of these pages. It lends the work a more somber tone that I wasn’t entirely ready for, especially considering how much the concept of death already unsettles me. The issue isn’t that, though, but rather, that I didn’t get the impression that Collins is actually examining those sentiments from unique angles.
His free verse, casual, and stream-of-consciousness style doesn’t entirely lend itself to the kinds of meditations here. There’s an honest vulnerability I admire a lot, yet it often seems as though Collins ends a poem just before it gets to the heart of whatever emotion or experience he’s speaking to. For someone as talented and well-versed as him, I can only assume it’s intentional, and maybe a future re-read will help me connect the pieces more. For right now, though, I’m less enthused by this than I was hoping for. I want the cover art frames on my wall, though.
I’ve been meaning to get back to reading poetry on a semi-regular basis, and Collins’ new book seemed like the gateway I needed. And it was! He has a knack for clever, pithy turns-of-phrase that strike the perfect balance between charm and sadness, and that remains the case throughout the poems collected here. But there was also something missing, for me. I usually find a lot of emotion and intention coursing through the veins of his poetry, but this book seems to have less of that than I was expecting and hoping for. Maybe it’s his very real, looming preoccupation with death, which permeates through most of these pages. It lends the work a more somber tone that I wasn’t entirely ready for, especially considering how much the concept of death already unsettles me. The issue isn’t that, though, but rather, that I didn’t get the impression that Collins is actually examining those sentiments from unique angles.
His free verse, casual, and stream-of-consciousness style doesn’t entirely lend itself to the kinds of meditations here. There’s an honest vulnerability I admire a lot, yet it often seems as though Collins ends a poem just before it gets to the heart of whatever emotion or experience he’s speaking to. For someone as talented and well-versed as him, I can only assume it’s intentional, and maybe a future re-read will help me connect the pieces more. For right now, though, I’m less enthused by this than I was hoping for. I want the cover art frames on my wall, though.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
I've been a fan of Billy Collins for a long time. His poetry is about storytelling, with some touches of humor, and it makes it very approachable for those who find poetry intimidating. He's the Fred Astaire of poetry - giving us something light-footed and beautiful to enjoy when the world is particularly grim. Astaire danced during the Great Depression, and Collins' poems in Whale Day give us images of traveling in Europe, hotel stays, and enjoying espresso in coffee shops - all things that might be out of reach for most of us in 2020.
Probably my favorite of this collection is "Architecture at 3:30 A.M.", where the snoozing Brunelleschi is paired with Dagwood Bumstead on a midnight sandwich run: "he labors, along with all / the other geniuses, / under gravity's singular law." Lovely, and funny too.
I also liked "Anniversary," which is wistful and somber, as is "Downpour", both about remembering people who are now gone. There isn't anything in this collection as wonderful as "Litany," one of my favorite poems, but that is a high bar. Maybe re-reading will change my opinions.
Reading "Lakeside Cottage: Ontario" made me go back to read W.B. Yeats' "The Wild Swans at Coole," a poem published over a hundred years ago which meditates on similar imagery though it ends up in a different place.
If you're someone who is not sure you even like contemporary poetry (but you remember enjoying Robert Frost in school), give Billy Collins a shot.
Probably my favorite of this collection is "Architecture at 3:30 A.M.", where the snoozing Brunelleschi is paired with Dagwood Bumstead on a midnight sandwich run: "he labors, along with all / the other geniuses, / under gravity's singular law." Lovely, and funny too.
I also liked "Anniversary," which is wistful and somber, as is "Downpour", both about remembering people who are now gone. There isn't anything in this collection as wonderful as "Litany," one of my favorite poems, but that is a high bar. Maybe re-reading will change my opinions.
Reading "Lakeside Cottage: Ontario" made me go back to read W.B. Yeats' "The Wild Swans at Coole," a poem published over a hundred years ago which meditates on similar imagery though it ends up in a different place.
If you're someone who is not sure you even like contemporary poetry (but you remember enjoying Robert Frost in school), give Billy Collins a shot.
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I like Billy Collins and his ability to use humor and playful language to delve into serious topics. This definitely felt like a long meditation on death, but again, with his signature charm and slight absurdity. I wish I could have given 3.5 stars because I did enjoy it, but nothing stuck with me or struck me. I saved no quotes or notes, and so I went with 3 stars. If you're a Billy Collins fan then it's definitely worth a read!
Collins is hit and miss for me. Some of his work in this collection is fantastic (Sleeping On My Side, Cupid, My Father’s Office) but some just aren’t good.
Beautiful and hopeful and went down like a warm cup of cocoa.
I hope that someday I can write poems 1/10th as good as Billy Collins'.
I hope that someday I can write poems 1/10th as good as Billy Collins'.