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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
Billy Collins takes everyday life and and turns it into poetry. His humor and charm makes "Aimless Love" a wonderful read.
Despite my love of humor and poetry, I don't think Billy Collins is much to my taste. The ending twists, which are arguably the most important part of the poems, are wonderfully clever and insightful--far beyond anything I could create. But about half way though, I found I didn't really care about the subjects of any of the poems. I knew they would be small, readable, and unpredictable, but none of poem topics really struck me or stayed with me. The poetry about poetry seemed particularly isolating to me. Maybe I just don't like poetry for the sake of whimsy.
Here are some I did like:
Absence
Love
Flock
Adage
Divorce
Oh My God! (Though I reject the concept--teenage girls should not be watered down to looks and language)
France
Here are some I did like:
Absence
Love
Flock
Adage
Divorce
Oh My God! (Though I reject the concept--teenage girls should not be watered down to looks and language)
France
slow-paced
I'm very ambivalent about Billy Collins. Some of his poems in this book are moving or have subtle humor. For instance, "Paris" is wonderful as he describes a mundane day in Paris that just happens to be magical (because he's in Paris). "Digging" created vivid images in my mind as he digs a hole in the woods for a pet's grave: dappled sunshine, moist earth, the sad body of a cat wrapped in a terrycloth towel. "Best Fall" is hilarious as he recounts a game that he and his friends played when they were 11. I could easily see myself having played that game. There are many others that I liked or really liked.
But I also dislike many of the poems in this book. "This Little Piggy Goes to Market", "Today", "Nine Horses", "Litany", "No Things", and "Irish Poetry" are just some of the poems that left me cold. In all of them, you get this sense that he's trying to be cute or clever or surprising and he just can't carry it off. I think some of his poems end badly. Lame is an overused descriptor but that's the word I'd use for many of his attempts. His poems are easy reading. And you'll find the gamut of type: sonnets, villanelles, quatrains so you'll pick up some poetic edification with this book. Just don't expect to come away from it in awe of his ability as a poet. Recommended with reservations for too many "meh" poems.
But I also dislike many of the poems in this book. "This Little Piggy Goes to Market", "Today", "Nine Horses", "Litany", "No Things", and "Irish Poetry" are just some of the poems that left me cold. In all of them, you get this sense that he's trying to be cute or clever or surprising and he just can't carry it off. I think some of his poems end badly. Lame is an overused descriptor but that's the word I'd use for many of his attempts. His poems are easy reading. And you'll find the gamut of type: sonnets, villanelles, quatrains so you'll pick up some poetic edification with this book. Just don't expect to come away from it in awe of his ability as a poet. Recommended with reservations for too many "meh" poems.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
As someone new to reading poetry just because I want to and not because it's homework, I am truly enjoying Billy Collins. This collection of poems is accessible and perfect for someone who wants to read poetry that is straight forward but also moving. The New York Times has dubbed him the most popular poet in America for good reason. Highly recommended.
Similar to Sailing Alone Around The Room by Billy Collins, Aimless Love is a collection of poems from previous books: Nine Horses, The Trouble With Poetry, Ballistics, and Horoscopes For The Dead. At the end of this collection there are considerably more new poems by the author than in Sailing Alone Around The Room. I was glad to see selections from Nine Horses because I have been unable to find this at my local library. My rating for Aimless love is for Nine Horses and the new poems. Again, I recommend that fans of Billy Collins read the collections in their original publication before reading these selected collection of collections. If you have read them all, these could be fun return to some of your favorite poems by Billy Collins.