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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Thank you to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review. I haven’t read Billy Collins in years, so I was excited about the opportunity to review this. This poetry collection mostly centers around life, love, aging, and death, in a humorous and honest way.
I can’t personally relate to most poems as a younger woman, but I did find myself marking many to read again in the future:
The Function of Poetry
Sleeping on My Side
Arizona
The Emperor of Ice Cubes
Dublin
Cremation
The Yellow Wood
Architecture at 3:30 A.M.
Me First
Me First really stood out to me and was my favorite of the collection.
These seem true to Billy Collins’ style. While I did find myself skipping several poems halfway through, it’s still an enjoyable read for poetry fans and fans of his work, so I would recommend it.
I can’t personally relate to most poems as a younger woman, but I did find myself marking many to read again in the future:
The Function of Poetry
Sleeping on My Side
Arizona
The Emperor of Ice Cubes
Dublin
Cremation
The Yellow Wood
Architecture at 3:30 A.M.
Me First
Me First really stood out to me and was my favorite of the collection.
These seem true to Billy Collins’ style. While I did find myself skipping several poems halfway through, it’s still an enjoyable read for poetry fans and fans of his work, so I would recommend it.
reflective
slow-paced
Incredibly disappointing. Every other poem was about DEATH, (yes, we get it, Collins, you're feeling old). There were a few that were consistent with the average quality of her earlier, good poems: especially 'Early People' and 'Listening to Hank Mobley around 11:00 after a Long, Fun, Boozy Dinner, the Four of us, at Captain Pig's, our Favorite Restaurant in Town.', but most were either trivial or morose or both. With a good bit of mindless sexism thrown in, too (the one comparing John Muir and Charlotte Bronte calls them 'Muir' and 'Charlotte', respectively, for example). I think I'm done with Collins.
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Whale Day is the latest collection of poems by Billy Collins and it is wonderful. Collins is a great poet for people who might be intimidated by the idea of poetry. Not only are his poems beautiful and use language so well, they are so clear and relatable. There are layers upon layers of meaning as the reader digs into his poetry. His images are from the ordinary and yet are put together in such a wonderful way. I could read Collins poetry all day long!
In this collection of poetry by Collins, we get a glimpse of the poet growing older, and a little bitter. Much of the poetry focuses on age and aging, nostalgia for youth and past times. As is almost always the case with Collins's collections, there's also quite a lot fo poetry about poetry--about the writing process, about inspiration, and about what makes a text a poem. Long-time readers will be pleased; newcomers will find themselves either charmed or put off by Collins's meta-narratives and self-reflection. I found a number of the poems moving or interesting; others seemed tossed off with less care, written out of need for a deadline, maybe, and less imbued with thoughtfulness or meaning.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced