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Directions: This assignments has two parts:
Part 1 - 300-500 words. Due Wednesday, July 25th:
In your first blog, write a personal response to your reading. Which three poems most appeal to you? Why? Comment on Collins's use of figurative language, imagery, diction, tone, etc. Include specific quotes and details from these poems and discuss how they were interesting or meaningful to you. Are there questions you'd like to pose to the class for consideration? You will not be able to see your classmates' responses until after July 26th.
Part 2 - 200 words. Due Wednesday, August 8th:
Don't begin your second blog until after July 26th, when all students will have completed their first responses. In your second blog, you must respond to one or more blogs that your fellow classmates posted. Feel free to comment on their responses, offer your own commentary on their observations and analysis of a poem, and/or try to answer a question that was posted.
Please acknowledge the person to whom you are responding by name.
IMPORTANT: Email dawsonw@whbschools.org before August 8th if you had trouble posting a comment for Part 1 (i.e. you don't see your comment published after 7/26) or you continue to have trouble posting a comment for Part 2. If you don't see your second comment after you hit publish, restart, try a different browser, and then email me if none of this works.
Part 1 - 300-500 words. Due Wednesday, July 25th:
In your first blog, write a personal response to your reading. Which three poems most appeal to you? Why? Comment on Collins's use of figurative language, imagery, diction, tone, etc. Include specific quotes and details from these poems and discuss how they were interesting or meaningful to you. Are there questions you'd like to pose to the class for consideration? You will not be able to see your classmates' responses until after July 26th.
Part 2 - 200 words. Due Wednesday, August 8th:
Don't begin your second blog until after July 26th, when all students will have completed their first responses. In your second blog, you must respond to one or more blogs that your fellow classmates posted. Feel free to comment on their responses, offer your own commentary on their observations and analysis of a poem, and/or try to answer a question that was posted.
Please acknowledge the person to whom you are responding by name.
IMPORTANT: Email dawsonw@whbschools.org before August 8th if you had trouble posting a comment for Part 1 (i.e. you don't see your comment published after 7/26) or you continue to have trouble posting a comment for Part 2. If you don't see your second comment after you hit publish, restart, try a different browser, and then email me if none of this works.
In “Winter Syntax,” Collins compares the essence of a sentence to the journey of a lone traveler trudging through a winter night. He describes the shortcomings of a sentence and how much better a gesture can be at conveying meaning. As we all know, the threats of words hold little weight against that of a loaded gun held at one’s back. As he puts it, these gestures make sense without words, “blazing with silence.” Similarly, through imagery, he asserts that a visual representation is worth a thousand words. For example, a pair of shoes is a recollection of a million steps. In his words, “he unclothed body is an autobiography,” symbolizing how every detail of a person acts as a part of their life, their body being the one thing worn from start to finish. However, again referring to the traveler, like a sentence, he “persists in his misery” through the night, “leaving a faint alphabet of bootprints” which create a message for nature’s creatures to see. The traveler arriving at your chimney, like the sentence, is now at his journey’s end. Each appears before the reader and will “express a complete thought,” just as clear as the simpler means of a gesture or image. What is the lake and island analogy supposed to represent?
ReplyDeleteIn “The Rival Poet,” Collins succeeds in describing the feelings one may have towards their adversary. He relates that, despite his efforts, his rival is always one level above him, having written more poems with titles longer than any that he has conceived. The author, however, then describes how he, and many others, relieve themselves from their stress. Instead of only idolizing his opponent, he idolizes himself as well, realizing that he is the one above while his opponent is “the one below.” Collins characterizes his poem with a multitude of Italian references to reinforce his words. He describes his opponent’s work to loom over him “like Roman architecture.” When he is in his own head, however, he describes how he is an Italian noble with a lovely, “Contessa” wife, above his opponent, who is “fidgeting in your [his] rented tux with some local Cindy hanging all over you [him].” Do you feel the poem would be affected if another culture were to be used? Also, I didn’t fully understand the point of the 3rd stanza, could someone explain?
“The Blues” takes an interesting look at our perception of emotions. Starting off, Collins describes the frequent ignorance of one towards another’s pains. As he puts it “no one takes an immediate interest in the pain of others.” However, if this pain, say “your baby left you,” can be amplified through a song, people will “shift to the sympathetic edge of their chair.” This pain resonates with them and, as they feel the rhythm of your pain, you can tell them how such a worry has brought you to shambles. I personally love this poem because of how truly it grasps the essence of the Blues, how sharing your personal woes can bring a connection between everyone.
In his poem My Number, Collins talks about death. His first stylistic device is personification, referring to “death” as a decision making entity capable of specific interaction rather than just a state of being. This is seen when Collins asks if “he”- Death- is “too busy with making arrangements” to find the poet’s “hidden cottage?” The second stylistic device seen is the use of similes. Similes can be seen when Collins is describing Death and his actions: “scattering cancer cells like seeds” and “his hood raised like the head of a crow.” Collins also hints at the fact that he fears Death, showing his attempt to stall and avoid the inevitable when he writes “Did you have any trouble with the directions? I will ask, as I start talking my way out of this.”
ReplyDeleteThe second poem I chose is My Heart. In this poem, Collins uses diction and details to convey the intricacy of his heart. His eloquent word choice, such as “zoomorphic” and “reliquary,” is paired with highly detailed descriptions of the heart. This allows for sentences such as “the convoluted top-piece shows a high level of relief articulation as do the interworked spirals at the edges,” and “it is engirdled with an inventive example of gold interlacing, no doubt of Celtic influence,” that give the reader of vivid image of complex, moving parts. Lastly, Collins seems to imply that he has made many sacrifices in the past when he says that the handle of his heart is “worn smooth,” indicating it having been used in “long-forgotten rituals, perhaps of a sacrificial nature.”
The last poem I chose was Insomnia. In this poem, Collins uses repetition and parallel structure to outline the monotony he feels while unable to sleep. He lists details in a repetitive structure to show consistency: “the same tight circle on the same green threadbare carpet,” and “the watch that encircles his pale wrist, the tiny expendable band, the tiny hands that keep pointing this way and that.” The poet also uses imagery to make the experience of his attempt to distract himself more vivid to the reader, describing things like “a schoolboy in an ill-fitting jacket, leaning forward, his cap on backwards,” or referring to the body as a “sack of exhaustion.” Collins seems to view his insomnia as unpleasant, but he is otherwise indifferent to it, saying “it makes no difference whether I lie staring at the ceiling or pace the living-room floor.”
I chose these poems because I appreciated the subject matter discussed and the language used. They really struck a chord with me. As for questions, how do think Collins’ poems would have changed if he had written them more recently? How would they poems be different if he had lived in a country other than the United States?
Josie, regarding the poem Insomnia I disagree with your comment that Collins is indifferent to his insomnia. It's the the last stanza that makes me think that he's desperately trying to find something to help him sleep. The line "Does anything exist at this hour...that will carry me off to sleep" gives off a tone of frustration and desperation. He accepts the existance of his insomnia, which he chooses to represent in a the form of a schoolboy, but he's hoping there can be some way to break out of the same continuous cycle.
DeleteHi everyone! My name is Anna Hoffman and I am going to be new to Westhampton in September so I just wanted to introduce myself! Looking forward to meeting you all.
ReplyDeleteBlog:
In Sailing Around the Room, the three poems that most appealed to me were A History of Weather, Budapest, and Insomnia.
A History of Weather (page 26) appeals to me because it is able to relate weather to its presence through all of history. History is very important to me so I admired the author’s connection of the two subjects. The tone of the poem is nostalgic as it reminisces weather’s place throughout history’s many periods, from the Victorian Era (line 11) to the Renaissance (line 12) to both the Middle and Dark Ages (lines 13-14). There are also many personifications throughout the poem in lines 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, and 20. Allusions in the poem consist of references to various times throughout the world’s history (cited above) and the Bible: “on the heat that shimmered in the deserts of the Bible” (line 16), along with various events taken from the Bible such as the Flood: “for it will cover even the climate before the flood” (line 18) and the Garden of Eden: “when showers moistened Eden and will conclude” (line 19).
Budapest (page 69) appealed to me because it references someone’s experience as they write. I enjoy writing so the poem seemed to be a good choice for me to analyze. Quotes that stuck out to me in Budapest included the opening lines: “My pen moves along the page like the snout of a strange animal shaped like a human arm” (lines 1-2) and the quote “I watch it sniffing the paper ceaselessly intent as any forager that has nothing” (lines 5-6). In these quotes, the author appears to be comparing their pen to an animal through the utilization of simile in each respective quote. A use of personification is seen in lines 9-12, where it says that the pen “wants only to be here tomorrow, dressed perhaps in the sleeve of a plaid shirt, nose pressed against the page, writing a few more dutiful lines”.
Insomnia (pages 142-143) appealed to me because I felt I was able to learn of a new experience by reading the poem. I enjoy seeing life from the viewpoint of others and this poem gave me the ability to see sleep from a whole new perspective. The poem implements personification to describe their mind when they try to sleep, saying “someone inside me will not get off his tricycle” (lines 6-7). The author also describes their mind as their “own worst enemy, my oldest friend” (line 15). The syntax and tone throughout the poem are scattered. At first, it is calm and quiet as the speakers tries to sleep in their silent, dark room. The tone is peaceful. Then, the syntax gets unfocused and frustrated as they describe how their mind refuses to stop going like a schoolboy that won’t get off their tricycle. The tone is restless. Towards the end of the poem, the syntax gets calm once more as the author utilizes imagery to described focusing on their watch to try to drift off to sleep. The tone is peaceful again.
Questions I would like to pose to the class include: Why does the author relate weather and history in A History of Weather? Why do you think the author compares their pen to an animal in Budapest? What is the significance of the watch in Insomnia?
“Sailing Alone Around the Room” by Billy Collins is full of poems with nuanced writing strategies and vivid descriptions. His three poems, Another Reason Why I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House, To a Stranger born in Some Distant Country Hundreds of Years from Now, and Nostalgia in particular though, showcase Collins’ intelligent use of symbolism and satire. For example, the reason he doesn’t keep a gun in the house is due to the incessant barking of his neighbor's dog would eventually drive him to shoot it, or himself. The speaker, Collins, has his sanity symbolized as the barking dog, in the beginning, the dog’s barking was “rhythmic” and more grounded in reality. As the constant barking got to Collins he tried to cope by putting Beethoven’s music on high to drown out the dog but only to make his sanity spiral more downhill. By the end of the poem the dog is personified and the situation becomes outlandish and insane with him imagining the dog performing in the orchestra with the barks still loudly sounding. The dog barking could have facilitated his delve into madness, or it was only a metaphor for it, but if he really did have a gun he would have ended it one way or another. I know that response seems like a bit of a stretch, what do you guys think about that one? Collins seems to use dogs as symbols a lot, because in another one of his poems, Some Distant Country Hundreds of Years from Now, he uses a wet dog as a person with a lot of problems, for example, like people walking by without batting an eye at a homeless person asking for money on the side of the road. He describes the wet dog being ignored, only looking for attention. He says that when people go to pet the dog, then promptly realizing it was wet, push it away and try to clean themselves off. People are welcoming of someone else until they realize that that person has a lot of problems, then they just push them away, like a wet dog asking for attention. Collins wrote the poem in hopes that someone from the future will read it, knowing full well that those people in the future, no matter what they do differently will have the same attitude for the needy, pushing them away. Moving on to a less depressing poem, instead of using symbolism to convey saddening ideas, Nostalgia uses satire to express his contentment with the repetition of people who reminisce of better days almost every generation. He pokes fun at the people who criticize the next generation for not knowing “the good times,” and also capitalizes on his point by the repetition of the years at the beginning of nearly every stanza. The repetition of the years, all of which being completely unrealistic time periods that he would personally remember, solidifies his point of the ridiculousness of the idea of nostalgia. All of Collins’ poems have a similar use of writing strategies, most all of them have a symbolic meaning and/or use satire to convey that meaning. -Aidan Baryk
ReplyDeleteAidan, I have to disagree slightly with your theory on Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House. Though I fully agree with you on the point that the dog acts as the source of Collins’ mental distress, I don't think it represents his sanity. I feel that, instead of representing his sanity, he uses the dogs constancy of barking to show how it is the unending source of his annoyance, as it starts barking before he turns on the music and continues to bark even after the music is over. I think the references to Beethoven and the general orchestra setting may be used to show that, despite his attempts to bring peace to his situation, the dog will continue to bark until the neighbors 'turn it off,' acting like a metronome, and will worm its way into every nook and cranny of his mind.
DeleteIn regards to your response to “To a Stranger Born in Some Distant Country Hundreds of Years from Now,” I feel you summed up the words of Collins perfectly. I find it very interesting how the statements in Collins’ poem still ring true, if not truer, 20 years later.
In your analysis of Nostalgia, I would agree wholeheartedly in your analysis of Collins writing. He truly emphasizes the absurdness of claiming that only a person and their generation have events in their past that are ‘Nostalgia-worthy.’
Although I did not make the connection between the dog and mental illness upon first reading Sailing Alone Around the Room, after reading your response it seems to be a possible interpretation. I, however, do not think there ever was a dog barking in the first place. The non-stop barking of the dog symbolizes the voices one hears if they are schizophrenic. With mental illness, there is no escape from the hallucinations implanted in them. Throughout the poem Collins eloquently describes the narrator's efforts in silencing the “dog.” Many people struggling with schizophrenia turn to self harm with thirty percent of deaths from suicide. This is alluded to in the title of the poem “Another Reason Why I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House.” The narrator was incontestably aware of the danger for self harm and consciously neglected having anything that could cause detriment. His consciousness to his illness is also shown when he states that “the other musicians listen in respectful silence.” The musicians is a metaphor for other patients listening to him as he devoulges his story to them. With ending the poem on a positive note it indicates that this “therapy” session has aided in his recovery.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI considered writing about "To a Stranger born in Some Distant Country Hundreds of Years from Now" when writing my first response. I believe your interpretation, Aidan, with the analysis that the wet dog is a person with "a lot of problems" was pretty close to being spot on. In my interpretation, the wet dog is a person with a mental illness, something in a person's physical appearance, how much money a person has, or anything that makes a person "different" in the eyes of society. Being in high school, I believe this is very apparent to what we see on a daily basis, especially in social media. It is sort of frightening, however, when adults act like this as well. Billy Collins named this poem knowing it would apply for all of history, for all ages, for the entirety of the human race.
DeleteAdvice to Writers is one of the three poems that appealed to me because of the diction. Words like scour, devoted, and brilliant gave life to this poem. It allows the reader to paint a picture in their mind and imagine freely. The first stanza talks about washing down the walls and scrubbing the floor of the study before doing anything else. I take it as clearing up your mind before doing anything else. A specific quote that caught my eye was “Spotlessness is the niece of inspiration” meaning that clearing up your mind is one of the keys to inspiration. The third stanza says “The more you clean, the more brilliant your writing will be...” I’ve come to the conclusion that the more space there is in your mind, the more amount of inspiration there will be in your writing. Finally, in the last stanza, Collins compares pencils in a pencil cup to flowers in a vase. He advises the reader to choose the sharpest pencil and to begin to let everything flow.
ReplyDeleteIntroduction to Poetry
From the beginning to the fifth stanza, Collins says how one should look at a poem and how they should discover the poem open-mindedly. Here, he uses imagery to show how many different meanings there could be to a poem. From taking it and holding it up to the light all the way to water-skiing across it and waving at the author’s name on the shore, he demonstrates that there are various ways one can search for the meaning. In the last two stanzas, he talks about how many people try to force a meaning out of the poem and get it over with. Poetry can be many things but one thing that it can’t be is that it can't be forced.
Dancing Toward Bethlehem has got to be my favorite in this book. What really stood out in this poem is the way Collins chose the words. He really illustrated a saturated image of the scene in my mind. The ballroom of a hotel next to the ocean. At that moment I could already hear the wave crashing against the shore and even smell and taste the salty air. I imagined a beautiful woman wearing a long, silky dress dancing with a tall, handsome man wearing a dark, navy tuxedo. With just four stanzas, this poem brought me to a totally different dimension of imagination.
As cheesy as it may seem, I actually struggled trying to choose only three favorite poems from this book Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins. I read this book periodically, either at my summer job, or while basking in the sun while poolside in my backyard. Regardless of where I was, I brought a pack of sticky notes with me so that I could mark the poems that spoke most to me. Well…almost every page has a bright pink sticky note attached. However, after extensive consideration I narrowed it down. I chose the poems that I related to the most, connecting them to the real world. I would like to discuss the very first poem of the book- I know what you’re thinking, and I promise I read the entire book. From the beginning, I was pleasantly relieved when I read the first poem and smiled. Titled “Another Reason Why I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House,” this poem was about the nuisance of the neighbor’s dog barking. Trust me I can relate to this! Some context- I live in very close quarters with my neighbors and all of us have at least two dogs, some well-trained and some, well, not. Every morning my neighbors release their dogs into their backyard and so begins the incessant barking that prevents me from sleeping in. My dad has even joked about getting a paint gun so that when the dogs return to their houses covered in a rainbow, maybe our neighbors will get the message. Hence I even shared this poem with my dad because of the humor in the strong connection I shared with it. Billy Collins utilizes repetition of “barking, barking, barking” to convey the annoyance of the dog. The next poem that spoke to me is titled “Tuesday, June 4, 1991,” where Billy Collins simply records his day. As plain as it seems, this poem about a random day in June resonated with me. I think this poem successfully emulates the theme that everyday on earth is a beautiful opportunity that should not be taken for granted. I think its special that Billy Collins writes about his day through poems rather than the ordinary journal writing of an average person. I can relate to this poem of capturing unusual details because I like to photograph moments that others may not consider to be important. It’s in the most normal things that Billy Collins seems to discover happiness. He shows this through the figurative language of imagery. For example, Collins makes the reader share his appreciation for “cottage cheese with half pear” and his “new Kitten, Felix,” and many other boring occurrences on the “record of this particular June Tuesday.” In other words, Billy Collins reminds the reader that it’s the little things that matter. The final poem I’d like to mention is titled “Piano Lessons,” where Billy Collins reminisces childhood memories. Once again I can relate to this poem on a personal level because I also grew up taking piano lessons. Although I am grateful to have the skill now, I can also remember the frustration of training both hands to play together and scales being the bane of my existence. Similarly to Billy Collins, I also consider my piano to be the most beautiful and large possession in my house. I think the literary device that helps portray these vivid memories and made me imagine my childhood was the detail Billy Collins used. For example he includes the fact that his “teacher lies on the floor with a bad back” and that his piano is like a “curious beast with its enormous moonlit smile.” Phrases like these reminded me of my appreciation for my piano. My favorite line from this poem was when Collins compares scales to “the familiar anthems of childhood,” which is true to anyone who went to music lessons while growing up.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite pieces is “Japan”. I like it because the poem’s message is that poetry doesn’t have to be packed with figurative language and jargon in order to impact someone’s life. Through the use of diction Collins is able to present this idea that more doesn't always mean better. This simple Haiku is able to fill “every” room with its “falling” letters as well as create a beautiful “rhythm” on an “empty” shelf. Collins begins to feel like he is the moth, and the more he recites this haiku, the more he is transported into it. This poem serves as a contrast almost to the Plight of the Troubadour, another one of my favorite pieces. The Plight of the Troubadour itself is very heavy on its historical references and thus making it a bit more of a complex one. If you read the poem without the prior knowledge that a troubadour was a French lyrical poet specializing in love or that Provence was a city known for their troubadours than the whole meaning is skewed. It becomes almost a poem about the love between two people, when it really is about the love for one's city and poetry. Billy Collins does an amazing job of using imagery to portray two different stories. With phrases such as “Sentiments are tangled like a kite” and “Love lyric is flourishings” the reader may think that this man is anxious as he is professing his love to this woman, however if you take the historical context into consideration the man is actually upset. As a troubadour he prides himself in being able to create beautiful European love poetry, however if the people who travel far to hear him recite his poetry cannot understand him what does that mean for the future of troubadours? Or the city of Provence? Collins shows this fear with the phrase “I will be lost in anthology” emphasis on the lost. If people cannot understand his work then the troubadour fears that his poems will become lost in the vast amount of love poetry as no one will be able to see its uniqueness. Another one of my favorite poems is “Introduction to poetry” its a little ironic that it's my favorite as its message is that you shouldn’t have to delve deep and look for a message in order for a poem to be impactful and enjoyable. Through the use of diction Collins essentially makes the reader feel bad if they’ve ever over analyzed poetry. He uses words such as “torture” and “beating” to demonstrate that when you try and find a deeper meaning you are trying to create something that may not even be there in the first place, you’re skewing the poets message and creating your own. Billy Collins is able to create these amazing poems and the majority of them aren't a front for something deeper. So why do people feel that in order for a poem to be good, it has to be deep?
ReplyDeleteSup Julie. I totally relate to your enjoyment of Introduction to to Poetry, for really the same reasons, just a little different. In the 6th and 7th stanza, I flashed back to every English class where we have to annotate a story... reading these words literally made me snap my fingers in a sassy star and say, "exactly correct, sir". With this poem, I totally ignored the idea of even analyzing the wording and phrasing, staying honest to the idea of a simplistic poem where no grave digging is needed. There is no need to look any farther than the words written there to see the desire of Collins to use your senses to interpret poetry, not dissecting its capillaries. And to answer your question, I don't know. I think some people just aren't meant to read poetry, or still can't figure out how to read it. I think that in order to read poetry, you first need to realize that the analytical review of a poem is separate from the meaning a poem. Sure, the author can use diction and rhyme and similes to convey their message and meaning, but you once you note this, you don't have to try and relate it to its meaning. Poetry has different meaning to everyone, and to try and figure out all perspectives of it is just like building a conspiracy theory where you loose the gist of it by the end. Well, its been fun. Tootles!
DeleteThe three poems I chose were The Man in the Moon, The Dead, and Days. The Man in the Moon appealed to me because it describes the changing perception of the face depicted on the moon by the narrator. The poet utilized imagery in describing the face, “He looks like a young man who has fallen in love with the dark earth, a pale bachelor, well - groomed and full of melancholy, his round mouth open as if he had just broken into song.” The Dead appealed to me because it depicted a relationship between the living and the dead which I found very interesting. The poet used personification when he said “The hum of a warm afternoon.” Also he explained that the dead are always “looking” down upon us as we do our daily tasks. I found this interesting because it revealed the poets beliefs about heaven and the afterlife. The third and final poem I chose was Days. The poem starts out by saying that “Each one is a gift.” This goes lengths of saying that you should be grateful for every day you are cherished to have and to not take anything for granted. The poem then goes on to describe the morning using imagery, “Today begins cold and bright, the ground heavy with snow and the thick masonry of ice, the sun glinting off the turrets of clouds.” The author description makes it seem as is you can go through your day with the same attitude no matter what the obstacles or daily troubles ensue. Also I thought it was very interesting when the author said “place this cup on yesterday’s saucer without the slightest clink”. I believe the author is trying to say that what happens in the past stays in the past and to not dwell on what has happened in the days leading up to today.
ReplyDeleteOops, it deleted. Damn.
DeleteHi Clarke, again. So, I totally agree with your analysis of Days. Collins' use of imagery really helped to bring this poem to life. Just reading it had me picturing: snowed-in Sunday mornings and sitting at the top of a ladder like Alice, piling tea cups with the Mad Hatter. But, I interpreted the end of the poem a little different. For me, the poem meant, "be careful with your life". For one, I saw parallelism between the beginning "Each one is a gift" and "hoping to add one more. Just another Wednesday,". Each day of your life is represented by a dish or cup or some sort of cutlery. And to be piling them so high (thus the reason for a ladder), you must by cautious of your life, for one wrong move in life will start the tumbling of the china (like Jenga, your life is compared to that wooden block game). By making your choices, you are altering your next day. For every choice you make, right or wrong determines how long your pile can continue to grow. So really, I interpreted it the opposite to you. So now, I ask you, or anyone willing to reply, "How did we see this in such different ways?", is it the way I read it, am I just a pessimist, or is this related to a mood? I think this is up in the field of phycology, lets take a pass on that question. Anyway, this was fun (to rewrite, cause I didn't save it before). h.a.g.s.
Many of Billy Collins poems appealed to me, while reading through Sailing alone Around the Room. There were Three that most appealed to me, Passengers, Advice to Writers, and Insomnia. Advice to Writers reminds me of the feeling I get has a sit down at my desk after, cleaning my room. Collins diction in the this poem such as “ the immaculate altar of your desk” conveys the feeling, I get at seeing my room spotless. I also have to agree with Collins’ statement that “the more clean, the more brilliant your writing will be.” I agree with Collins due to the fact that, the best writing I have ever done has been in a space that is spotless. I wonder if anyone else feels, as though the cleaness of the space in which you are writing, affects the quality of one's writing? Insomnia is another poem by Collins that appeals to me, and to many others. As many can relate to the feeling of simply lying awake at night not being able to fall asleep. Throughout this poem Collins use cliches and imagery, Collins does this in attempt to connect the reader to the poem. In the poem he say “After counting all the sheep in the world I enumerate the wildebeests, snails, camels, skylarks, etc.” By using this cliche readers can instantly picture a person lying in bed unable to fall asleep. Collins uses imagery as he talks about “all the fish in creation leaping a fence in a field of water, one colorful species after another.” In this poem Collins evokes a feeling of sympathy from the readers, as the person in the poem is has trouble falling asleep, and even way they finally get to sleep they are thrown into a nightmare. The last poem that appealed to me the most was Passengers. In this poem Collins considers the possibility that this plane ride may bring his death and death of the rest of the passengers on the plane. He show this when he says “ I sit in a row of blue seats with the possible company of my death.” He take time to watch what the other passengers are doing. Like “the way that man has his briefcase so carefully arranged” and “ the way that girl is cooling her tea.” I feels as he does this as he wants to remember his last moments on earth. In this poem it feels as though he has already accepted his “fate.”
ReplyDeleteHi Luis! I also enjoyed the three poems you have chosen and some of your interpretations helped me gain a better understanding to Collins’ overall meaning of the poem.
DeleteI agree that “Passengers” describes the author’s fear of plane rides and the possibility of death. However, I did not consider that Collins’ had been analyzing the people surrounding him on the plane to remember his last moments on earth. Instead, I felt that he was examining them in order to compare his fear of planes with their casual emotions, as if they did not recognize the high chance that something could go wrong during the flight. Your interpretation made me consider the alternative meaning that he had already accepted his fate prior.
Secondly, in your interpretation for “Advice to Writers,” the quotes you found really prove the connection between a clean room and the quality of work. As for your question regarding the cleanliness of space, I do agree that I am able to write better and accomplish more when I am working in a tidy area.
Lastly, I also read and commented about “Insomnia.” As mentioned in my response, I noticed the use of personification and felt it was interesting that Collins’ actually referred to his inability to sleep as a “him.” Your response also helped me realize the use of cliches throughout the poem, such as the author’s comment about counting sheep.
The three poems that stood out to me are Vade Mecum, Some Days, and Insomnia.
ReplyDeleteWhile Vade Mecum is only four lines long, I feel the underlying message appealed to me the most. Collins compares life and its memories to a book, in order to create a meaningful analogy. The poet uses the phrase “when you cut me out of my life and paste me in that book you always carry” to convey that we depart from different people in our lives, and while we may not always be with them we will have the memories from the past. Collins is also able to emphasize the emotions of saying goodbye through diction. For example, when the poet describes the scissors as “sharp” and the table as “perfectly level,” the terms portray the poet’s hope to make the “cutting” quick and less painful. I find this poem meaningful because next year my classmates and I will be heading to college. Although we’ll be separated, we still will have the memories of high school in our own “books” that we carry.
Some Days describes how there are times in your life when you may not feel in charge and you may feel stuck going through the motions. In order to demonstrate how similar humans may seem to dolls at times, Collins uses imagery to describe the dolls in their dollhouse. The poet starts off by saying “some days I put the people in their places at the table, bend their legs at the knees … and fix them into the tiny wooden chairs.” However, he later states “but other days, I am the one who is lifted up by the ribs, then lowered into the dining room of a dollhouse to sit with the others and the long table.” Collins also ends the poem with a rhetorical question, asking the reader how they would feel if they were the one forced to stare straight ahead in the dollhouse. This allows the reader to really consider situations in their life when they have felt similar to the dolls in the house, feeling they are not in control, much like during the school year when we follow a daily routine.
Insomnia shares the thoughts Collins encounters while failing to fall asleep. This poem is relatable because mostly everyone has faced a time in which they were unable to sleep because their brain was still overthinking. Collins is able to convey this message through personification. For example, the quotes “someone inside me will not get off his tricycle…” and “... he keeps on making his furious rounds” demonstrate how Collins refers to insomnia as a him. In addition, Collins also uses tone to provide a fearful yet bored feeling. This can be seen when the author states, “does anything exist at this hour in this nest of dark rooms.” These quotes help to explain the feelings and visions Collins faced while unable to sleep, and connects them to the experiences we all face in the same situation.
Hey Dianna. The three poems you chose are very interesting as I feel most if not everyone can relate to them in some way. Your analysis of these poems, also help me to have a deeper understanding of the poems.
DeleteI agree with your analysis of “Vade Mecum”, as the poet creates an extremely powerful analogy in just four short lines. As we have all lost, or drifted apart from someone else, everyone can relate to what the poet is saying in the poem. I had not considered Collins’ use of the “sharp and the table as “perfectly level”, as him expressing hope to make the experience quick and less painful. After rereading the poem, I have to agree.
In your analysis of “Some Days” you compare the situation of not being in control, to the daily routine of a student, during the school year. I feel as this an accurate comparison, as a student at school, has little to no control over what they do. This comparison helps to express the feeling in the poem.
Lastly your analysis of “Insomnia” made me realise that I overlooked the fact the Collins refers to insomnia as a him. I had completely missed the personification, in my read of the poem. I do find it interesting in the poem that, Collins ues quotes such as “does anything exist at this hour in this nest of dark rooms.” To expresses his feelings, in his struggle to sleep.
Hey Dianna, I loved your interpretation of "Vade Mecum" and helped me to see the deeper meaning that was meant to come across in such a short poem. The part when Collins tries to show how people do depart from your life but you will always have those memories really stood out to me because that is what happens in every day life. At some point you and your friend may have to separate and no longer be able to keep in contact because of their life circumstances. I also loved the comparison you used in your analysis of "Some Days". By saying students are stuck in a routine during the school year it definitely fits into the proportions of being in a dollhouse and not having very many places to go. Your interpretation of "Insomnia" also stood out to me. I feel like many people can relate to this poem especially me. I always find it hard to fall asleep when my mind is racing because I continue to dwell over a certain problem or it just won’t stop going. Collins use of figurative language throughout all three poems really helps to convey every message that you saw from each of the poems and defiantly helps them come to life as you mentioned.
DeleteThe three poems that stood out to me were “Introduction to Poetry,” “Budapest,” and “Morning”. These three poems all connect in someway and are able to relate back to “Introduction to Poetry” and the style that Billy Collins writes with.
ReplyDeleteTo begin, “Introduction to Poetry” starts off by introducing what Collins thinks of poetry and what he believes goes into writing a poem. He starts off by comparing a poem to a color slide though the use of a simile. Color slides are filled with many different colors, this comparison allows you see that poetry also has many different “colors,” or meanings, in other words there are many different ways to think about and interpret a poem. Collins also hints that the use of your senses in poems is very important and it is what allows you to get your message across. He describes the sense of sound by describing a beehive, and sense of sight by talking about the color slide and how you navigate your way through a maze. When he talks about the maze it relates back to the color slide in the sense that they are so many different directions you could go and that it can be very difficult, but there will always be one way to go and you will eventually feel freedom from a poem once you have discovered its overall meaning.
The second poem that stood out to me was “Budapest.” As I read “Budapest,” I instantly related to the overall meaning. In this poem he is describing what it feels like to write. Throughout the poem he uses imagery to portray the struggle of writing, but how he will always want to come back at the end of the day. In the first stanza he takes an animal and describes its daily struggle to find food, but in the first line he makes it known that he is talking about writing by mentioning the use of a pen. At the end of the poem he ties the idea of writing being difficult by how he will daydream about going to Budapest or any place that he has not visited.
The third poem that drew my attention was “Morning.” Unlike “Budapest,” where I related to the poem, this poem was the complete opposite. In “Morning,” Collins describes how he wishes everyday can be just like the morning though the use of imagery. He starts off by saying how the afternoon rolls in like a wave and takes a “sudden dip into the evening.” This automatically shows how he is not very fond of the evening. I am not a morning person. He then proceeds to go and start describing all the wonderful experiences that come with the morning such as waking up and drinking a cup of coffee. From this poem you are also able to see that he likes to see where each day will take him by referencing an atlas, and how everyday is a new day with new experiences.
Sam Hickey
ReplyDeleteThe first poem that is most appealing out of Sailing Alone Around the Room By Billy Collins is titled “The Dead”. The summary of the poem is how the dead people are in heaven and how they look at humans and every day activities that humans do, and how the dead are waiting for us to be with them. One of the most appealing aspects of this poem is the figurative language that is used in the form of imagery. The most prominent use of imagery is shown when the poem states “they are looking down through the glass-bottom boats of heaven as they row themselves slowly through eternity.” This image describes how the dead are simply just floating and swimming through eternity, waiting and watching humans down below them. Another interesting moment from “The Dead” is the image that is provoked towards the end of the poem. The line is “fall silent and wait, like parents, for us to close our eyes.” The image of the dead rowing a boat through eternity is paired with the idea that the dead are like parents, looking down and guiding all of the people from their position.
Secondly, Monday Morning also came across as interesting. The poem is about the end of a year for a high school senior. The student seems nervous about her final as well as what her future will hold. The figurative language that was interesting was the use of juxtaposition. Juxtaposition is used when comparing the orange peels and the bright senior ring to the student herself. The student is described as “She dreams a little and she fears the mark” and “as a frown darkens the hauteur of her light brow.” These images are used to portray her as dreary, nervous, and sad. This is paired with the images of the “orange peels and her bright senior ring”. This juxtaposition is created to demonstrate the feelings of the students paired with her surroundings, and how uneasy that can feel.
The last poem, titled The Butterfly Effect, is about how small events can lead to changes in life and how the past can affect lives greatly. The main appealing trait of this poem is the tone. The tone has a very nihilistic yet joyful tone towards the end of the poem. The poem states “whose wings are about to flutter thus causing it to rain heavily on your wedding day several years from now, and spinning you down a path to calamity and ruin” Then in the second stanza of the poem, it is stated “if this is not an example of mimicry, an adaption technique whereby one species takes on the appearance of a less-edible one,” The poem then goes on to explain who discovered mimicry to distract the pain almost. “it might interest you to know and possible distract you from your vexatious dread with regards to the hopelessness of the future,” This use of nihilism creates a numbing reaction in the poem.
Hello Sam,
DeleteI also enjoyed “Butterfly Effect” as well, but I came away with something different from the poem. While you perceived the poem as nihilistic, I believe the tone is slightly different. Although the tone is pessimistic, the message insead could be one of inspiration. Instead of the flap of a butterfly’s wings causing a hurricane, maybe it could also create a nice breeze on a hot summer day. Despite the fact that the author does use hurricane in the sentence, it is still something to consider nonetheless. I appreciate your analysis of “The Dead”. An interesting idea that came to my mind while reading this poem was that most times we speak of ‘the dead’ , it is from the perspective of the living. What I love about this poem is that it shifts the narrative of that moment to the perspective of the dead. The dead want the living to be with them, just as the living want the dead to come back to life on earth. A symbol that struck me was the one you mentioned of the glass bottom boats. Traditionally, glass bottom boats are used to observe fish or possibly a coral reef. This time the fish are the living and the humans are the dead. The relationship between fish and human might draw parallelism to the relationship between living and dead. Just as fish are the prey of humans, the living are the “prey” of the dead. Quite possibly, the dead can exert their will on the living as a human can on a fish.
The three poems which I found most interesting were The Man in the Moon, Vade Mecum, and The Best Cigarette. In the poem The Man in the Moon the entire poem is a metaphor. He compares the moon and its craters to the appearance of a real man. I find it to be very interesting the way he shows how he has grown to become fond of the moon and the night time. He also uses specific similes throughout the poem to keep the reader interested, “He looks like a young man who has fallen in love with the dark earth”. Although it is a short poem, I found Vade Mecum to be very interesting. This poem also seems like it is based around a metaphor. But the metaphor here is based around the ending of a person’s life. It seems like he is talking to god in this poem, “When you cut me out of my life and paste me in that book you always carry”. Is he talking about God and the bible? He also uses imagery in this poem when talking about the sharpness of the scissors and the table that is perfectly level. The Best Cigarette I found especially interesting because of the amazing use of figurative language throughout the poem. I found the different scenarios of when the author would smoke cigarettes to be very interesting. The authors use of metaphors were fantastic throughout this poem, “Then I would be my own locomotive”. Describing how he would work while smoking and drinking coffee seemed very peaceful. I think one of the best parts about this poem was how at peace the author felt. The cigarette was not the most important part to him. It was the writing that he would be doing while smoking the cigarette. Which one of these three do you like the best? My favorite is probably The Best Cigarette.
ReplyDeleteDylan, I also read "The Man in the Moon" and I would agree to the metaphors relating the moon and its craters to the appearance of a real man. I also found that throughout the poem it felt as if the man in the moon was looking down upon Earth, precariously watching every persons movement. In "Vade Mecum" the metaphors about ending a persons life do seem like they are intended for a person who has a positive relationship with God. When he says "When you cut me out of my life and paste me in that book you always carry" I'm not sure if he is relating back to the bible. I almost chose "The Best Cigarette" I did thoroughly enjoy it as well. The figurative language throughout was very interesting especially the use of the metaphors relating to the cigarette smoke. I would agree that the author would feel very down to earth and peaceful when he was smoking, drinking and of course writing. I do agree that the writing was the most important part that would help him find his peace. My favorite was probably Man in the Moon because of all the metaphors and specific examples of the face in the moon being related to an actual human.
DeleteMy Number
ReplyDeleteThe title of this poem “My Number” symbolizes that everyone has their own of number before meeting Death. Death can be anywhere, the author uses specific locations such as “widow in Cincinanati” and “British Columbia.” These locations overall symbolizes that Death can really happen at any location no matter how random. In further speculation you might notice how Death is also personified with the use of a capital letter. The second stanza suggests that Death is behind fatal “accidents”; that Death can manipulate the situation. The third stanza starts with the continuation of the second stanza’s final sentence. Diction and phrases such as “dark” and “black car” signifies the theme of darkness (in contrast to light) in negative connotation of Death. Moreover, within the fourth stanza it’s interesting to note the diction of “stepping” and “shaking” which implies that death could be physical. Death ironically takes out his scythe from the very ordinary car trunk, like an every day object. The thing that makes this poem more meaningful to me is the final stanza “Did you have any trouble with the directions? I will ask, as I start talking my way out of this”(16). Death is very unexpecting and can occur at any moment which therefore makes some people not ready for Death and would do anything to talk themselves out of it. I would probably use every ounce of my skills of persuasion to attempt the same thing. So I leave you with this, If death would approach you, would you accept your fate?
Vade Mecum
Before we cut out and take apart the lines of this poem, we must first consider the title. “Vade Mecum” - according to the informational dictionary - means ”a handbook or guide that is kept constantly at hand for consultation.” This gives a sense of how meaningful the book is to the person who carries it relentlessly. The diction of “sharp” and “cut” signifies precision; as to leave no mistakes. Also, the way the table is described to be “perfectly leveled” for the cutting suggests the need for the narrator to fit perfectly – not simply in the rhetorical way she is pasted in the book – but in this person’s life. This can be reference in my own life where I have loved one’s in it who I want to be in my book almost like the persons book is the story of their life.
Serenade
The narrator doesn’t want to rush with the girl, letting other suitors attempt to serenade her with glamorous things such as “music”, “flowers”, and “luminous” attire. The book does not suggest any insecurity in the narrator’s bravado because of the other suitors’ lack of uniqueness in their attempts for her love. Being a musician myself, who plays a variety of instruments, was not familiar with the “zither.” This shows the uniqueness in the narrator. He is not going to simply play a few blase chords on a guitar for her; he wants to stand out and create something truly special for her. This is clear in the way he expresses his drive to be “the strange one”. The final stanza really showcases the dedication he has towards the girl. As written, “Look down at me as I finger a nameless instrument it took so many days and night to invent” (42). In this way he further enhances the unique history of the instrument and the dedication it’s creator put toward it, as he dedicates himself uniquely to the music.This poem overall makes me happy because he could of simply played an arpeggiated chord progression on an instrument and call it a day, but it would be like everybody else.
George, although I agree with some of the things you believe in your selected poems, I have to disagree with some of those beliefs. For one, I disagree with some of your interpretation of My Number. I believe the author citing many different locations is a result of paranoia, as the author states most of his beliefs as uncertainties. The writer is scared that since death is all around, death could be right next to him and he wouldn’t know it, and when it does come he will try his utmost best to avoid it. Furthermore, the reason he personifies and capitalizes death is that death can result from another person, not just from natural causes.
DeleteFor Vade Mecum, I agree with most of what you have to say, as a Vade Mecum is a book of phrases, with each phrase “cut” from its context to serve the user at a later date with precise diction.
Finally, for Serenade I agree with the fact that the author is very secure about his chances with getting this women, and that his instrument is a unique on just for her and to be different. However, I think he makes unique instruments as a way to stand out from his competition. His “pyrophone” and “glassarina” are examples of instruments he invents as a way to captivate the woman he desires.
While reading Sailing Alone Around the Room, I realized Billy Collins wrote about the experiences that someone can have in ordinary life and the revelations about everyday life that come from these experiences. The poems that appealed the most to me were Bar Time, On Turning Ten and Budapest. Bar Time was appealing to me as it brought me back to times when I decided to do something enjoyable and avoid the homework I had due. Bar Time is a poem that mocks society on how it spends time and avoids problems, with the line “the clock here is set fifteen minutes ahead of all the clocks in the outside world” being the most vital part of this piece. Collins describes these fifteen minutes as time away from his troubles using diction such as “immune from”, “safely harbored” and “beyond the woes of” to show how this time in the bar is a sort of haven for him. Maybe the bar was Billy Collins’s safe haven? The imagery in the poem of a man smoking “a small fire” and drinking “a cold rust” as he watches outside where ordinary time “slouches past” evokes this image of a happy man watching a world outside that is all work and no play. What is he thinking as he watches the world go on without him? On Turning Ten was appealing to me as Billy Collins chooses to focus on growing up, which brought me back to my own experiences with growing up. On Turning Ten is a poem that focuses on sadness and acceptance with growing up. The tone is negative as Collins starts with metaphors comparing turning ten to a “a kind of measles of the spirit, a mumps of the psyche, a disfiguring chicken pox of the soul”. “The perfect simplicity of being one and the beautiful complexity of being two” was interesting and meaningful to me as it highlighted the resilience of a child’s imagination and the eventual acceptance of growing up, shown by “But now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life, I skin my knees. I bleed.” I relate to this line because like everyone, I have had that moment where I realized that life would change. Budapest appealed to me because it reminded me of when I would be daydreaming during class. Budapest is a poem that focused on separating Collins the person and Collins the poet. This distinction is important as Collins chose to make his pen its own being, “a forager” shaped by Collins’s arm living day by day. Collins describes the pen as an animal, using personification on the pen such as “it moves along the page” and “sniffing the paper ceaselessly”. Collins, however, gazes out the window and daydreams while writing. I thought the last line was meaningful because what if it was Collins telling us his aspirations outside of poetry, and that these aspirations were the reason behind his distinction from his pen in this poem.
ReplyDeleteEdon, I also really enjoyed the poem “Bar Time”. I had a very similar experience as you when reading that poem. Everyone has a small escape they go to when they would like to get away for a small amount of time from their responsibilities or the task that they must complete at that time. I also agree with your interpretation of how Collins has his fifteen minutes of being “safely harbored” from his current issues that he has to deal with. I also believe that the bar is the safe haven where he goes. The language used in quotes like a man smoking “a small fire” looking where ordinary time “slouches past”. I interpreted this as well as the narrator is currently happy in his safe haven, looking at society from where he is and is seeing the world as (as you previously said) all work and no play. The imagery also of the man being harbored safely temporary while looking at the outside world creates sadness about the whole situation. The man is going to be shot back into that world once his quarter of an hour of procrastinating is done. This is just his break from society.
DeleteThe three poems I selected greatly reminded me of some personal life experiences, or at least events I have noticed.
ReplyDeleteThe first poem I chose was titled Tuesday, June 4, 1991, and the poem, just like the title, has a certain simplicity to it that adds to its personal sentiment for me. The author starts by constructing a tone with a light-hearted feel, a feel for a Sunday morning with nothing to do but enjoy the relaxation of a late breakfast and the natural calming presence of one’s morning setting. Then, Collins begins to describe numerous different interpretations of his morning typing, each of which parallels the mental notes taken by people during these morning moments. Proceeding this is a varied abundance of diction to describe the natural beauty of the peaceful morning atmosphere, a more than often occurance I take part in.
The following poem I chose, The Blues, related not just blues, but to the notion of stories as a whole. Collins generates an initial tone of disconnect, describing how those who voice their lives are often ignored like garbage on the side of the street. However, with transitional diction that shifts the tone, and language that paints the theme of enthusiasm, Collins demonstrates how altering the way in which a story is told may captivate the audience to intently and passionately listen about even the most basic of things (such as “you’re a hard-hearted man but that woman’s sure going to make you cry.)
The Night House, the final poem I chose, assumes an unusual stance on the commonplace activity of dozing off during everyday life, also known as spacing out. Collins starts by establishing a tone that conveys each individual as one in the same, as bodies that swing sickles through “the grass of money”. This message serves as a parallel to the fact that in modern life, regardless of profession, everyone works to gain money. However, when people go to sleep, other parts of their person rise and gain their long-awaited liberation. The heart, mind, and soul all escape, and Collins uses personification to classify the activities of each entity, making them feel more realistic and be easier to visualize for the readers. However, these deities only rise during the night, and Collins’ diction illustrates that despite how these rare beings only awake during sleep, the normal person can be pulled into their world, as a temporary break from their earthy toils.
Hi William- I enjoyed reading The Blues as well but I had a slightly different take on the poem. I felt that Billy Collins was reaching out in sadness for comfort because his woman left him without even a goodbye. Billy uses descriptive prose to speak about how he hard he must try to get the attention of someone, anyone, so he can talk about the pain he is in from his loss. He does this by creating an elegy as a musical crescendo, getting louder and louder through music played by the band and his own singing until he reaches a key no one can ignore. Billy tries to speak softly about his pain (piano) but only the increasing octave of his ache draws the attention of his friends. He speaks about their rapt attention and their willingness to listen at that point as if his sorrowful story is entertainment for them. But Billy knows to tamp down his emotions in the end so as not to irritate and isolate the very people he needs for comfort which I think everyone has inadvertently done in their lives thinking that you’re just being a bother by expressing your feelings. Lastly, Billy admits his sadness for his lost love but knows he will be okay. As I read the poem, I felt myself reading in growing tempo and desperation, matching his music description as if being conducted by his words. I also felt the angst of his feelings ebb in the end and returned to reading the poem in a calm, easy way.
DeleteComeragh Sheehan
ReplyDeleteOne poem that appealed to me was “Piano Lessons”. I can truly relate to this poem because of the eleven years in which I have been playing and taking piano lessons. In the first paragraph, Collin provides a great metaphor to the audience. He compares learning the placement of the piano keys to a blind man learning to walk through rooms without hitting furniture. In the following stanza, many metaphors are used as a way to describe the physical structure of the piano’s scales. Collin uses familiar objects to relate each scale to the audience. Figurative language is also used to characterize Collin’s hands when playing the piano. He describes how his left hand is struggling and compares it to “a difficult and neglected child”. Collin also states that his left hand would much rather be taking a nap on an armrest. This simile illustrates the battle between himself and his left hand in his times of piano lessons.
Another poem that had appealed was “Afternoon with Irish Cows”. Collin use vivid imagery to portray the irish cows sitting among the Irish countryside reminds me of my many times in Ireland. In this poem, Collin uses expressive imagery that appeals to both sight and sound. When describing the cow’s body, he refers to it as, “the black-and-white maps of their sides”. The crying of the cows in the open fields is described as a “full-bodied cry that began in the darkness of her belly”. These two examples of imagery gives the audience a great sense of the Irish cows.
The final poem that jumped out at me was “Insomnia”. In this poem, Collin uses a metaphor throughout the entire poem relating his brain to someone on a bicycle. As he lays in the pitch black room, his mind continues to wonder as a boy on a biking trip. An example of this metaphor is when Collin states, “the tiny hands that keep pointing this way and that.” This is comparing a hyper boy to his neverending mind while trying to fall into a deep sleep. Collin also uses very detailed imagery to catch the reader's attention. He uses diction such as “perfectly dark”, and “nest of dark” to depict the gloom of his bedroom.
Comeragh,
DeleteWhile I too at one point took piano lessons, all I really remember of them was that I dreaded attending. Instead, I can relate to how Collins feels about practicing his left hand to how I originally felt practicing in lacrosse. Years ago when I began playing lacrosse, I struggled with my left and much like Collins himself did; I think that the comparison to a "difficult and neglected child" is spot on: your off hand is something that you have to cherish, and strive to improve. As a whole, this is a way you can look at life. You can't expect to be fluent in a craft you just took up, you need to be patient, focus on the fundamentals, and eventually through hard work your skills will flourish.
I also resonate with Collins poem "Insomnia". There's something about wanting to make your brain shut down that just gets it revved up even more; willing yourself to stop thinking really doesn't accomplish anything, rather it makes it worse as you become consciously aware of your struggle to enter the dark. I know that when I try to fall asleep at night, I can sometimes spend nearly an hour with my mind flowing down a stream, anxiously waiting for the flow to abruptly stop.
In the book Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins, the 3 poems that most appealed to me were Books (page 12), The History Teacher (page 38) and Some Days (page 97). First in Books, the author is talking about he watches people read books in a library. He says that the people go from place to place, just because of a simple book. I appealed to this poem because that is how I am when I read a book, lost in another world. “I picture a figure in the act of reading, shoes on a desk, head tilted into the wind of the book, a man in two worlds, holding the rope of his tie…..” As I was reading that, I immediately connected with this poem, because I do that when I read, I disconnect from everything that’s not my book. In the poem, the author uses a lot of figurative language to convey his message. In the first sentence of the poem, he uses so much personification to describe the books on the shelves of the library. “....I can hear the library humming in the night, a choir of authors murmuring inside their books along the unlit, alphabetical shelves…. ” Just in that one sentence, the author uses personification to explain how the books are sitting on the shelves next to each other, and how they “talk” to each other. Another use of figurative language were similes. “He moves from paragraph to paragraph as if touring a house of endless, paneled rooms.” Here the author is simply talking about how a man is reading his book, but the way he wrote it, you can actually visualize him reading that book. Next, in The History Teacher, the author talks about how when teachers teach history, they don’t really tell them the truth about how horrible history and the world really are. When the students leave the classroom, they will be mean to their fellow classmates, because they think it’s ok. This appealed to me because as a student, I feel that sometimes in my Social Studies class,I will sometimes undermine how bad the past really was. “The War of the Roses took place in a garden , and the Enola Gay dropped a tiny atom on Japan.” In the poem, the author uses syntax at the end of the poem. For all of the different stanzas, they were different thoughts, and complete sentences. However for the last 2, it’s one complete sentence. I think the author decided to do that because he talking about how everyone will be after his classroom, and their afterthoughts. Lastly, in Some Days, the entire piece is a metaphor, and the author is explaining her life like the life of a doll. I appealed to this poem because sometimes life feels like you are getting controlled by everyone. In the last stanza, the author asks a rhetorical question. “....sitting down there amidst the wallpaper, staring straight ahead with your little plastic face?” I think that the author asked that question was so that the reader could imagine how the author feels, and try to connect, and feel like a doll also.
ReplyDeleteHi Isabelle! I thought the way you interpreted these poems was very interesting. For starters, I enjoyed the poem “Books” as well. I wholeheartedly agree with you on how a book can transport the reader to a different country, city, or even a different time period. Often times, I get lost in a book, just like you do. My favorite line from this poem is “I hear the voice of my mother reading to me from a chair facing the bed, books about horses and dogs,” since this reminds me of my childhood when I would look forward to when my mother or father would read books about horses to me. I also chose the poem “The History Teacher” for my response. This was definitely my favorite poem by Collins. I thought it was ironic how the teacher would try to shield his/her students from learning the ugly truth about the world, meanwhile they were experiencing it themselves when children would bully each other on the playground. Lastly, I found it interesting how you connected the author’s life to that of a doll in the poem “Some Days.” That is a crucial part of the poem that I completely missed the first time I read it!
DeleteIn the poems I found these three to be most compelling. First, “Man in Space”. This poem describes the patriarchal society that women have been suppressed into accepting. Collins’ use of diction exemplifies his points about how women feel in an oppressive society. Saying “eating salads” and “reading magazines” is what women are best at. This poem is the sad truth in which us women have to live through. The second poem I enjoyed was “The Best Cigarette”. This poem describes how a cigarette is more of a metaphor. Using strong diction, Collins creates visions of imagery that alludes to a stronger poem. I enjoyed this one specifically because he brings up points people don’t usually talk about, especially just a cigarette. The third poem that I enjoyed most was “Days”. This poem entails the descriptions of simple days that just seem to fly by. This one reminds me of summer in a way. The days not seeming to have much meaning. This poem awakens a thought inside my head that I need to pay more attention to my surroundings and enjoy each moment thoroughly.
ReplyDeleteMadison, you chose three very strong poems. I agree on your idea of the concept behind the poem “Man in Space”, by Billy Collins. Many of his writings compel strong messages, however, “Man in Space” describes an oppressive society where women aren’t good for the same as men. Considering that it’s an oppressive society being depicted, that also entails that it is somewhat patriarchal, and men hold highest power. However, some societies throughout the world still remain patriarchal today, where men run society and make decisions for women, finding them less useful in their community. I also agree that’s Collins’s use of imagery and diction help convey the themes behind all of his writings. His imagery helps create ideas of what is being depicted in each poem, leading to a strong message being portrayed from each poem. Being able to create mental pictures for each of Collins’s poems helps create and understanding of what he is writing about and helps the reader connect to the authors idea he is trying to convey to his readers. His choice of diction helps convey his message, as well. He uses phrases such as saying, “reading magazines and making salads” to explain how little women are useful for.
DeleteIn response to “Man in Space,”
DeleteMadison, I think you’re spot on by assuming Collins’ language paints a picture of a patriarchal society. However, I wouldn’t agree that Collins’ work is just to express the inequalities in society- but perhaps to inspire a more just future, where women aren’t seen as inferior. When you wrote, ‘this poem is the sad truth in which us women have to live through,’ I immediately thought to myself that Collins’ intent was to not leave you with that feeling. Yes, it’s true he writes ’eating salads’ and ‘reading magazines’ when describing female talents, but only to emphasize how unjust that stereotype really is. Perhaps this poem is so easy to relate to because even today women and men are not totally equal. Although Collins describes a society that’s somewhat outdated, he does so in an effort to inspire a brighter tomorrow. He supports my theory further more when he writes of his fictional planet. In Collins’ scenario, the women of his other planet were brave and empowered. By first painting such a submissive picture of a female, and then comparing it to self-sufficient women of another planet, Collins effectively establishes a difference between the two. Through comparing the two planets, he is able to depict the image of a more just future.
In Billy Collins’s book of poetry, there were three poems that conveyed strong messages. In the poem “Vade Mecum”, it describes a man yearning to be part of a women’s life. This moved me because I strongly believe in the idea of love and wanting someone to spend eternity with. In “The Dead”, the poem articulated visual images of an after life. I can relate to this poem because I’ve always sought comfort in believing in an afterlife and knowing loved ones are always watching after you. Lastly, “Man in Space” depicts a snipet of what goes on in a oppressive society. It explains how all women are good for is “reading magazines and making salads”. I believe some men still do continue oppressing women today, relating this poem to current-day society. Collins’s use of figurative language, such as imagery and diction, help portray the message he is trying to get across through his poetry. For example, he uses imagery in his poem, “The Dead”, by saying, “...they are looking down through the glass-bottom boats of heaven...” Here, he is depicting the angels looking down on us from the sky, in heaven. In the poem “Vade Mecum”, he uses words such as “scissor”, “perfect”, and “cut”. The usage of this diction helps convey how precise he is about being in someone’s life.
ReplyDeleteJacey, when I first read "Vade Mecum" I too thought the poem was from the point of view of a romantic idealist. However, upon closer expatiation I noticed the absence of "he" and "she" which also gave me the idea the relationship they are desiring doesn't have to be romantic, but rather an desire to be in the life of the person you love the most. I agree, the poem could just as much be a romantic extension as it could be a father/son situation.
DeleteIn consideration to "The Dead," I agree the poem is clearly about life after death. It's also significant to note the tone of sorrow and eerie anticipation of those who past before us. They are in a continuous state of rowing "glass -bottom boats of heaven" and watching from above. However, their is a gradual shift from the tone above to the tone on earth. On earth lies an air of satisfaction, emphasized by the simple "hum of a warm afternoon."
With you last poem I believe you were spot on. "Man in Space" is based around the rhetorical contrast of an alien society and a machismo earth-society. The alien society being the one that is fully against oppressing women because they are no doubt wisely "futuristic" in their ways.
Many of Billy Collins’s poems stress the paramount of knowledge of history. This is demonstrated throughout the poem entitled “The History Teacher.” Collins portrays the failure the preservation of innocence brings with the extension of the common idea that without knowledge of the past it is bound to repeat. Specifically, Collins depicts a teacher tutoring his students without exposing them to the horrors of history. This is exemplified when he states that the “The Spanish Inquisition was nothing more than an outbreak of questions.” In actuality, the Spanish Inquisition was when the crown expelled all the muslims from Spain; teaching this act would create more awareness to the lack of tolerance people faced and how to be more accepting in our own society. The most compelling factor of the poem is the irony. The history teacher is going out of his way to preserve the innocence but the students are anything but. This anecdote of the students being taught a censored version of history ends with them “torment[ing] the weak.” Collins does not stop with this poem to demonstrate the importance of history. Later in his book he writes “The Lesson,” which is another poem about history. In this poem Collins personified history through the narrator using it as an “overcoat. ” The overcoat is not just thrown on, but the narrator feels its ”weight.” This suggests the importance history has one oneself and by suggesting it has weight it shows the influence it has on them. The personification of history continues throughout the poem and suggests how close it impacts one’s life. This poem connects to the one previously mentioned indicating that due to the fact that history affects our everyday lives, tampering with it could result in detrimental effects. However, in a later poem, “Some Final Words,” Collins utterly contradicts his previous points. He even goes a far as saying blattenly “the past is nothing.” In this poem he sways the reader that the past should stay in the past and it is best forgotten. He encourages the reader to be in the moment by using the phrase “forget” six times in relation to the past. This technique of repetition engraves the thought that the future and present should be what is concerning them, not the past as said in his two previous poems. I am having trouble fathoming why Collins would go through the length of explaining the power of history in a positive light to disapproving it in this poem.
ReplyDeletePaige, I think it’s very interesting and eye-opening the way you interpreted Collins’s use of literary devices to reveal an ongoing theme revolving around history. In The History Teacher, the title itself and how the history teacher contradicted the sole purpose of educating students displayed heavy irony. You dissected sentences and held them in comparison with facts in history, which has helped me to see a new theme about the importance of truth throughout Collin’s poems. Many of his poems start out as complex situations that are, by the end, easily simplified once Collins’s himself addresses the truth. To explain further, the poem Nostalgia is another poem that continues the theme about history. Collins depicts how many people dwell on the past. The past is better than the current moment — history is worth looking back on. Yet, this implicit theme about the truth is displayed as well because as he is reflecting back — he is honest with himself. He is truthful in the sense that he is aware many hate their present situation just as he does, therefore they put a spotlight on the past. Essentially, your response has led me to interconnect the two prevalent themes of truth and history.
DeleteThe three poems that caught my attention from Billy Collins’ “Sailing Alone Around the Room” were “My Number,” “The History Teacher,” and “On Turning Ten.”
ReplyDelete“My Number”
In this poem, Collins uses metaphors to describe how death will come for us all. He lists many different ways people can die, for instance, by comparing death to something “reaching for a window in Cincinnati,” or something that is “scattering cancer cells like seeds.” Additionally, Collins personifies death by capitalizing it as if it were someone’s name and referring to it as a “he.” Lastly, Collins finishes the poem by asking a rhetorical question to death: “did you have any trouble with directions?” He then proceeds to say that he will start to talk his way out of this, meaning he does not want death to come for him.
“The History Teacher”
This poem is about a history teacher who shields his students from learning the harsh reality of historical events in order to protect their innocence. He teaches them watered down versions of historical events, for instance, “the Spanish Inquisition was nothing more than an outbreak of questions,” and the “Enola Gay dropped one tiny atom on Japan.” In the fifth stanza, the speaker goes on to say that the children would “torment the weak and the smart, mussing up their hair and breaking their glasses...” on the playground. This poem is ironic since the history teacher was trying to shelter the children from learning the ugly truth about the world, meanwhile they were experiencing it themselves.
“On Turning Ten”
Young children are so obsessed with the idea of growing up, and they are especially obsessed with reaching the milestone of turning ten years old. When the speaker of this poem finally turned ten, the reality of life hit him. He is realizing something is going on, but he is too young to realize that it is because he is growing up. It is obvious he feels this way when he uses metaphors to compare the “whole idea of it” to “something worse than any stomach ache,” and then to “measles of the spirit,” “mumps of the psyche,” and “chicken pox of the soul.” The speaker then goes on to describe his vivid imagination as a child, like how at four he was an “Arabian wizard,” and at seven a “soldier.” When he finally realizes the struggles of growing up he says this is the “beginning of sadness.” He closes the poem by comparing life to a sidewalk, and when he falls upon it, he skins his knees and bleeds. This final metaphor demonstrates how difficult life is when you’re not a child anymore, and how growing up isn’t as great as it seems.
Kristin, I enjoyed all of the poems you chose as well! In My Number, I completely agree with how powerful the hypothetical examples of dying are to the piece. I would like to add that the amount of detail Collins uses , such as specific locations and events, expresses his worrisome attitude towards death. I completely agree that he is not looking forward to death, and it is shown clearly throughout the piece even before he says it. I also agreed with your response to The History Teacher, as the teacher in Collins poem attempts to shield the children from horrific historical truths. Phrase choices such as “nothing more” and “one tiny atom” used to describe certain historical events. You are spot on about this poem being so ironic, as the children are experiencing horrific situations now, which will later be viewed as history. I was also very interested on what you had to say regarding On Turning Ten! The quotes you used really show the sad truth behind growing old, and how each view of himself as he gets older is becoming less and less exciting. Collins skinning his knee is incredibly important to the piece because it shows him falling into the difficulty of growing old.
Delete“Schoolsville”
ReplyDeleteThis poem is about how Billy Collins reflects upon all of the students that he has taught, and he realizes that he has taught enough students to fill up a small town. He uses metaphors to compare the snow to chalk dust, and the landscape to paper. Collins imagines all of the activities to be related to school, as shown by “On hot afternoons they sweat the final in the park and when it’s cold they shiver around stoves reading disorganized essays out loud.” (Collins 18). Collins sees that school can determine a persons’ success in life, and he uses stereotypes to show this. He shows that the boy who was inquisitive was elected into a council and now owns a shop, while the girl who was careless smokes all of the time and fusses about her appearance. Collins illustrates that the students form cliques dependent on their grades. Collins is no longer a teacher, and he proves that when he states that he lectures the wallpaper, quizzes the chandelier, and reprimands the air. Needless to say, he is teaching nobody.
“Nostalgia”
This is a poem about that past and the future, and how time is ever-changing. Collins reflects upon time progressing, calling out the trends of the past. Even thought Collins was never alive during some of these time periods, it is if he feels them and knows them. This is evident when Collins calls the past “an improvement” over the present. Collins uses a simile when he writes that he “lets his memory rush over moments of the past (the stones) like water”. This creates a peaceful scene, showing that Collins finds peace reminiscing about the past. Collins also ponders upon the future, wondering what the name of the next dance will be.
“The Dead”
This poem is about “dead people” watching over their loved ones. According to Collins, the dead are always watching down relentlessly. Collins uses imagery to further show that, writing about how the dead watch while people are putting their shoes on, making a sandwich, or laying down in a field or on a couch. Collins imagines the dead to be rowing through eternity in glass boats in heaven, showing that to him, heaven is eternal. Per Collins, the dead wait patiently for our time to come, waiting for us to “close our eyes”. This poem has a peaceful tone.
My experience in terms of reading the poems created by Billy Collins makes me highlight three poems: “Another Reason Why I Don'T Keep A Gun In The House”, “Snow Day”, and “Madmen” for the way the poet employs various types of imagery and figurative language.
ReplyDeleteThe poem “Another Reason Why I Don'T Keep A Gun In The House” impresses me with the way the literary device called “repetition” of the phrase “The neighbors' dog will not stop barking” helps in provoking the reader to reconsider the title of the poem (Collins 1). Although not saying it directly, the poet gives expressive reasons to not storing weapons in his house. What is more, the abundant use of the word “barking” is what helps the reader understand the emotions the poet experiences.
The poem “Snow Day” is a good example of how auditory imagery can make a piece of writing highly expressive in its nature. For example, the poet accentuates the silence and peacefulness snow introduces into the world when saying that the weather created a “noiseless drift” (Collins 8). What is more, the poet also shows how peaceful everything around is for even whispers can be noticed from time to time “girls whispering by the fence” (Collins 35). Finally, Collins highlights how precious and soothing such type of nature is since it gives the feeling of tranquility with “grandiose silence of the snow” (37).
The use of a unique metaphor is what impresses me about the poem “Madmen”. In the given case, the author indirectly says that all contemporary artists are madmen because of the way they interpret and create art. As a result, Collins criticizes the modern artists and gives his opinion of their works by generalizing all of them as the people “who attack art, not in reviews,but with bread knives and hammers” (9-10).
Having read a number of poems by Collins, I would like to suggest trying to characterize the unique style of writing of the poet. In other words, I want to have a discussion in regards to the features that make Collins differ from other poets and their works.
I agree with you saying that the repetition used in "Another reason why I don't keep a gun in the house" gives the reader the same feeling of annoyance every time the dog barks. The way he uses the writing strategies does make the the reader experience his same emotions.
DeleteI also agree with you in that the way Collins uses imagery in "Snow Day" creates a sense of peacefulness and serenity. Though you can say that instead of the way he uses imagery, it's the tone and diction, though both would have the same effect in the end.
For "Madmen" I agree that he says that the mad men are artists to those who interpret what they do is art, which is vandalize actual art. But I don't think he criticizes the modern artists, he just says that they are more artists than the people who restore what they destroyed.
All in all, I agree with most of your interpretations of these poems, and think that like what Collins says in "Madmen" a lot of his poems are up to interpretation with what they mean or if they are good or not.
‘The Apple that astonished Paris’ (1988)- Insomnia
ReplyDeleteAt night, when my thoughts tend to quiet, Collins depicts a journey through a mind that only gets louder. Within the first stanza of Collins’ work, my attention is immediately thrown into a world of imagination, which is refreshing because this poem is discussing a generally sad topic. When thinking of insomnia, most view the illness as a negative aspect in one's life, right? Yet somehow, Collins utilizes exaggeration to depict the world of an insomniac living in color, a vibrant world full of endless thought. For example, he writes “after counting all the sheep in the world I enumerate the wildebeests, snails, camels…” (lines 1-3). Obviously counting the number of animals in the world seems ambitious, however, Collins didn’t want to portray a realistic scenario, he wanted to portray a complex and unique one. The man doesn’t just want to count the animals he’s imagining near him, or in a certain area, he wants to count ALL of the animals in the world. Collins makes further use of exaggeration when he writes “I picture all the fish in creation leaping a fence in a field of water…” (lines 19-21). It’s quite impossible to see every fish in creation jump over a fence in the water. But again, Collins wasn’t looking to depict reality, he wanted to illustrate his wildest imagination.
Although I’m not personally an insomniac, as a daydreamer I found it easy to relate to the main character’s endless search for questions and answers. Collins’ ability to portray a world of infinite possibility through the mind of an insomniac, is truly amazing. He turns what should be dull into an explosion of color, and I think he does it almost seamlessly.
‘Picnic, Lighting’ (1998)- Afternoon With Irish Cows.
ReplyDeleteThe reason I chose this poem is because it took me a few reads to understand it and I wanted a second opinion. One aspect that attracted my attention in specific, was Collins’ ability to discuss a series of gruesome events while maintaining a positive tone and outlook throughout the entire poem. In the first few stanzas, Collins relays the experience of living across from a field of cattle. At first he describes the cattle as mysterious neighbors, gently lingering about. He writes ‘the field suddenly empty,’ and ‘their big heads down in the soft grass’ when describing the field, in an effort to give the image of cattle with peaceful, friendly demeanors (Lines 4 -6). After establishing that the cattle were merely docile neighbors, Collins describes the experience of hearing the laborious cries’ of the cattle as they were branded or slaughtered. The mood of the poem is instantly shifted when Collins writes “...anchored there on all fours, her neck outstretched, her bellowing head laboring upward as she gave voice to the rising, full bodied cry…” (Lines 24-26). Collins use of imagery in this stanza depicts a very detailed description of the cattle’s experience. He uses words like ‘outstretched,’ ‘bellowing,’ and ‘laboring,’ to portray the amount of struggle that the cattle sounded like they went through. For me, this stanza was almost too gruesome to enjoy, however I think Collins’ purpose of writing in this style was to provoke the readers emotions and create sympathy for the cows. Although those descriptions could be interpreted as vividly painful, Collins manages to connect the death of cattle with nature in a positive way. When describing the sounds he heard, he writes “Then I knew that she was only announcing the large, unadulterated cowness of herself… to all the green fields and the gray clouds, to the limestone hills and the inlet of the blue bay…” (Lines 31-34). Although this process could be seen as despairing, Collins describes the death as pure and natural. A nature giving back to nature type of situation, if you will. What do you think?
Hi Flynn! I agree with your interpretation of the poem. Collins starts off by describing the peaceful cattle field, and then he goes on to describe gruesome events while still maintaining a peaceful tone. Your assumption that Collins views death as pure and natural is spot on. In addition to your connection, I am also able to draw many connections. One unrelated connection I see is that some people feel the need to disrupt the silence or make themselves known. Collins described how the cow sounded like she was in pain, but she was really only announcing herself to the green fields and gray clouds, or otherwise, the world. This is shown when Collins writes ”Yes, it sounded like pain until I could see the noisy one” (Line 22), showing that the cow was not really in pain. He then writes “Then I knew that she was only announcing the large, unadulterated cowness of herself” (Line 29), showing that the cow “feels the need to make herself known”. This is a much more figurative interpretation. The beautiful thing about poetry is that it is open to interpretation. Not everyone will see eye to eye on a poem, and events in someone’s life can influence how they interpret poetry.
DeleteHey, I thought this poem was interesting as well. What caught my attention was how the Collins purposefully made this poem hard to read. With lines like "her bellowing head laboring upward as she gave voice to the rising, full-bodied cry" it almost seems like he wants the reader to slow down. The flow is unique and coupled with the dark theme it makes for an odd poem. The way I interpreted it was that the branding of the cow caused the cow to express itself harshly with a bellowing cry in a last attempt of wild defense. Which I gathered from the line "pouring out the ancient apologia of her kind".
Delete
ReplyDelete‘The Art of Drowning’ (1995)- Man in Space
In his work, “Man in Space,” Collins effectively portrays the traditional role of women and compares it to a ‘fictional’ scenario, a world where women stand tall and empowered. What attracted me the most to his poem was Collins’ ability to describe such a powerful message with just a handful of words. He chooses precise and meaningful words that will effectively portray the image he is trying to depict in his writing. The fact that Collins’ short but sweet writing style got his point across, proves how important his writing technique is. For example, Collins writes ‘…how intent he is on making his point even though her lower lip is beginning to quiver…’ (Lines 3-4). Collins is able to depict an intimidating male character when powerful ‘intent.’ He also portrays a woman of insignificance, who’s lip will ‘quiver’ at the sound of her husband's voice. I think that Collins’ word choice helps provokes sympathy from the reader for the female character, by portraying her as submissive to her husband’s tight reign, thus establishing his central idea, that women are traditionally viewed as weak.
The intriguing aspect of this poem to me is Collins’ ability to change the setting and tone of his work without weakening or losing track of his point. For example, Collins quickly moves from the image of a weak woman to a powerful one when touching on a world of science fiction. In this description, Collins depicts a planet of self sufficient women without a single male in sight. He writes of their ‘arms folded‘ and ‘breasts protected by hard metal disks’ (lines 10-11), when describing the inhabitants. His description gives meaningful insight to a different kind of scenario, where women are seen as powerful and independent. Collins specific word choice effectively portrays a setting where women don’t have to stand submissive to anyone, where they can hold their heads high, giving a contemporary twist to his original description of the traditional female role.
One poem that really stood out to me while reading Billy Collins, Sailing Alone Around the Room, was Piano Lessons. Not only does this poem speak about the author’s experience growing up and learning to play the piano, but it does so in an extended metaphor. Collins speaks about every key on the piano “is like a different room” and how he is “like a blind man who must learn to walk”. Reading this poem, I had flashbacks to my childhood dance lessons, where my teacher would relate every new dance we learned to a location in the world where the influence of the dance came from. This allowed my classmates and I to envision the feeling the dance should portray before we performed it. The author’s continued use of the metaphor, where “the scale is the mother of the chords” and she paces in her bedroom waiting for the “chords” to come home, also incorporates personification and similes when speaking about his hands playing the chords. This poem draws my attention because as Collins speaks about having to drag his left hand to play the chords with reluctance, he then goes on the speak about how the piano is the “most beautiful object in this house”. He seems drawn to the piano, yet unenthusiastic to play.
ReplyDeleteAnother poem that appealed to me was Lines Composed Over Three Thousand Miles from Tintern Abbey. It becomes obvious while reading this poem that Collins prides himself on not taking poetry too seriously. He speaks about how everything “seems better the first time” and goes on, speaking in a sarcastic tone, about how poets speak about the past as if it is way more poetic then it really is. Collins states “Nothing will be as it was a few hours ago, back in the glorious past before our naps, back in that Golden Age that drew to a close sometime shortly after lunch.” This last stanza really got my attention because his view on poetry is very different from all other poems I’ve read. Collins understands that not every situation can be made into some poetic situation, and that time passing is not so abstract, just part of life.
The last poem that spoke to me was Snow Day. Collins uses specific diction to describe the snow in the beginning of his poem, like “noiseless” and “softly”, that create a mood of tranquility. Yet as the poem advances, he takes a more sarcastic tone while he is “a willing prisoner” in his own home, listening to the radio list the numerous schools that are closed. Line 30 states “and—clap your hands—the Peanuts Play School”, which demonstrates the ironical situation where the students are free for the day, yet he is trapped. This poem’s swapping of assumed roles due to the snow day (adults being free to go where they please during the day, but children being trapped in school on a normal day) is what appealed to me.
Lindsay! Your interpretations and thoughts on Collins’ poems were really interesting to me, they helped me see the meaning of the poems and develop a new understanding about them.
DeleteTo start, your analysis of “Piano Lessons” was eye opening to me, especially because you were able to relate your past experiences. It is really interesting that your dance teacher was able to connect each dance to a different part of the world, which really relates to the author’s thoughts of the difference each piano key has and how it can be seen as “another room.” Also, I did notice the author’s interest in the piano but I never fully realized how bored he seemed while playing it. However, your thoughts behind the dragging of his hands on the keys demonstrate how unenthusiastic Collins is while playing.
In addition, your takeaway on “Lines Composed Over Three Thousand miles from Tintern Abbey” helped me realize the author’s intention when writing the poem. Your understanding of the last stanza made me recognize that you cannot always write about whatever happens in your life. This was important because usually most authors tend to write stories that connect with their past, and in some situations when I am trying to write essays, I attempt to do the same. With another reference to the change over time, I could not help but realize Collins tends to write about the essence of time and how we cannot take it for granted. I noticed this in some of his other poems about time like “Days” and “On Turning Ten.”
Schoolsville
ReplyDeleteSchoolsville interested me a lot because I always wondered what teachers think about how their students end up. Collins gives a view into how as a teacher you end up teaching so many students, that it’s “enough to populate a small town”. Collins tone is almost nostalgic as he discuss how the students acted in the classroom translated into their life afterwards. Collins discusses after the years the names of students may slip his mind but the grades they received “are sewn into their clothes”. Collins use figurative language to express that the “A’s” stick with the “A’s” and the “D’s” stick with the “D’s”. Collins poem shows the reality of what is presented in the classroom is more often than not translated in the real world.
Man in Space
This poem appeals to me because it addresses the adversity women have to overcome and Collins describes that women in Space aren’t in a kitchen, but are strong independent beings. Collins portrays this by using figurative language and imagery. He uses this to first create the picture of a women being suppressed by a man who is so intent on making his point he scares her. Then Collins uses reasoning, to explain that if you’ve seen what Collins describes first it makes sense why women in science fiction movies are portrayed “standing in a semicircle with their arms folded”. This stance is one of power which Collins observe women have in space and other planets but not on earth.
The Death of the Hat
This poem discusses the passing of time and the trends that come and go. The way some trends are able to stick and some can die off quicker in a week is what interested me in this poem. The trend in question is Hats. Collins starts with “once every man wore a hat” and then reflects on the times when everyone wore hats, looking into a crowd there were hats everywhere. He states his father wore a hat everyday to work. But, as time passed the trend of wearing hats died off and now only things of nature wear hats. But, Collins at the end of poem uses figurative language saying his father “wears a hat of earth” and “a hat of wind”. This hat of earth signifies that the father has now passed on and with his death, the death of the hat followed.
Upon reading Billy Collins’ Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems, three poems that stood out to me were The Brooklyn Museum of Art, Insomnia, and Forgetfulness. I particularly liked The Brooklyn Museum of Art for its structure within the first three lines of the poem. It reads: “I will now step over the soft velvet rope/ and walk directly into this massive Hudson River/ painting and pick my way along the Palisades”. The transition between the second and third lines creates an element of surprise which I found to be quite amusing. Collins’ use of this structure causes the reader to believe one thing about what they are reading, and then quickly realize that they are wrong and the reality is something completely different. The rest of this poem uses hyperbole to help convey the idea that even though he is only in a museum looking at paintings, he feels transported to each location that is depicted. For example: “I will stand on the bluffs in nineteenth-century clothes,/ a dwarf among rock, hills, and flowing water,”. He writes as if he really has been transported not only to a beach, but also backwards in time.
ReplyDeleteIn Insomnia, Billy Collins uses an extremely common saying and extrapolates it in a playful way. He writes, “After counting all the sheep in the world/ I enumerate the wildebeests, snails,/ camels, skylarks, etc.,” This use of detail is effective in showing just how tired he is, he has to count all different kinds of animals. Collins then uses more detail to show the effects of counting so many animals as he falls asleep: he has a dream that he is drowning in the Flood and is watching Noah sail away with all of the animals. Details such as “As I rise and fall on the rocking waves,/ I concentrate on the giraffe couple,/ their necks craning over the roof,/ to keep my life from flashing before me.” effectively use such detail to portray the nightmare that he is having and how it relates to his method of falling asleep.
In Forgetfulness, Collins uses both detail and personification in such a way that made this poem particularly appealing to me. In this poem, Collins writes about the way that people begin to forget things as time passes by. He gives very specific examples of what people forget, and the order in which they forget them. He also personifies the way in which these memories “leave” a person’s brain. For example: “Long ago you kissed the names of the nine Muses good-bye/ and watched the quadratic equation pack its bag,/ and even now as you memorize the order of the planets,/ something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps,/ the address of an uncle, the capital of Paraguay.” The use of very specific details in this poem makes it more interesting to the reader, and also more relatable. This coupled with the playful personification makes this poem quite entertaining and appealing to me.
Sarah,
DeleteYours thoughts on Billy Collins’ poems were of great interest to me. To start, your analysis of The Brooklyn Museum of Art allowed me to understand the contrast between what Collins lead his reader to believe and what the reader soon realizes is reality. Although the different structural components and examples of hyperboles in the poem are of importance, I interpreted the poem as being a type of theoretical situation, almost as if he was imagining he was in the locations depicted in the art. Your explanation of Collins’ poem Insomnia opened my eyes to relationship between having to move on to new animals to count and being extremely tired. I admire this poem as well, due to the extended metaphor of Noah’s Arc used to portray the process of falling asleep and how much more work goes into it than just simply “counting sheep”. I as well was entertained while reading Collins’ poem Forgetfulness due to the playful personification used to describe thoughts leaving your brain. The specific details in the poem did make reading it more relatable, but they also made the poem seem more random and almost haphazardly written. This technique of randomness is caught my attention and drew me to the poem.
The Man in the Moon, On Turning Ten, Some Days
ReplyDeleteOne poem that stuck out to me, was The Man in the Moon. This one appealed to me, because I remember the animated short film, La Voyage Dans la Lun that I watched a documentary on when I was younger. In this short, the moon is given a face, and when the rocket is flown to the moon, it hits the moon in the eye. In the poem, I like how the appearance of the moon changes to the beholder with age, but is still the same. In the beholder’s young age, it seems frightening but as he grows, the moon becomes jovial. I think this change relates to the fact that as a child, adulthood seems far taller, unfamiliar and foreign and therefore scares children, and as we get older, we see the world on taller shoulders and have learned more and therefore aren’t scared anymore. I really relate to this growth, and I start to notice my shy tendencies shy away and my more social side is appearing, evolving with age and experience.
Another poem that appealed to me, was On Turning Ten. Staying with the theme of getting older, this one reminds me exactly of how it feeling growing up, going from bright days of pure make believe to the darker nights of hard reality. The imagery of cutting yourself, contrasting from “If you cut me I would shine.” to “I skin my knees. I bleed.” really shows the brutality that is the end of imagined playfulness. Not to by cynical, I saw this poem as negative, as it views growing up as a curse, that holds no more naivety at the ripe age of 10. But also, I agree with it, as I feel like we are forced to start growing up at this point, adding another digit to our age calls for a turn of the page towards adolescents. But really, when do we really need to start growing up?
And lastly, I looked at Some Days with some thought. It reminds of that fact that life isn’t always in your control. I feel like this sometimes, like when I have one of those really lucky or unlucky days, or when I feel like taking control of a situation versus the times where I just sit back and watch go on without me. The author uses dolls to symbolize that inability to have control, to not have a choice in what is going on around you. It really works because when you play with dolls, they can’t doing anything, you are in control. And to put it simply and in comparison, the dolls are my days of bad luck and sitting back and watch everything unravel, while playing “a vivid god” is the lucky days when I feel like I am in control.
Mai, for the poem “some days” I looked at the meaning in a similar way as you did. Some days I feel confident and have everything going my way, feeling as if I'm on top and and nothing can bring my mood down. However on other days it feels as if everything is going wrong, one thing after another and as if I have no control over what goes wrong. This poem perfectly captures those feelings, the sense of confidence with “some days I put people in their places…” Versus the complete opposite “but other days, I am the one who is lifted up by the ribs”. I admire this poem because everyone can relate to it, everyone has their good days and bad. In the last two stanzas it feel as if Collins personality is seeping through almost as if he's being humorous saying you never know what type of day you'll have. Whether it be with your head held high, or with your head slung down. These last two stanzas have definitely been the most interesting to me simply because in my mind it holds a bit of irony and humor even though it's not humorous. Even though I did not think much of the dolls like you did, I still made the same connection as you.
DeleteWhile “Sailing Alone Around the Room” by Billy Collins houses many unique and profound poems of varying depths, three proved to be the most memorable.
ReplyDelete“Vade Mecum,” supposedly the shortest poem in the book, stood out with open interpretation to its words. Although it is the shortest, the meaning was not diminished in any way. “Vade Mecum” tells of the pull that the abstract has on readers’ minds, and the need to escape from the reality among us, even if it means to “paste” our loved ones into this fantasy. This poem attracts attention due to its perspective of one who is not pulled into the surreal nature of novels. As someone who often is pulled into the fiction of books, it is startling to read about the opposite view.
The second poem to stand out is “Lines Lost Among Trees,” which speaks of great poems and words as “a handful of coins dropped through the grate of memory.” This poem was dedicated to the number of poems that he had lost due to loss of memory and personifies these lost words by speaking to them and saying “Go, little poem–not out into the world of strangers’ eyes, but off to some airy limbo.” He is stating that they should not be on the page, for readers, but instead in the “airy limbo” is where the absent words exist, along with “lost epics, unremembered names, and fugitive dreams.” Collins uses similes to describe these dreams that disappear when one wakes as a “fantastic city in pencil,” which erases itself “in the bright morning air."
“Insomnia” is yet another brilliant poem written by Billy Collins, personifying the restlessness one might feel at night. He compares this restlessness to a cyclist inside his head who won’t stop pedaling, and from what it seems is his own experiences, he illustrates his mind as awake and alert but his body as drained of energy. One way he shows his fatigue is by metaphorically comparing his body to a “sack of exhaustion,” indicating that, like a sack, he is unable to move and feels heavy. With great juxtaposition, he contrasts his “sack” of a body with a “little pedaler in his frenzy,” and uses diction such as “furious,” “wringing,” and “pace” to show the crazed state of his mind.
Natalie, I was also intrigued by the poem “Vade Mecum.” It’s shortness also stood out to me and made it seem odd, however after reading your post I have a new perspective. It has many interpretations and I can relate to yours, it is certainly different to see how someone would want to be “pasted” into the book as opposed to just reading it. “Insomnia” uses a perfect metaphor by comparing a tricylist to a restless person trying to get some sleep. In addition to the diction he uses, I found that many lines in the poem give a sense of imagery such as “green threadbare carpet” and “wringing the handlebars.” By giving these descriptive details I can clearly envision the state of mind he is in. “Lines Lost Among Trees” uses a handful of metaphors that effectively describe how his lost poems have forever slipped from his mind “a handful of coins dropped through the grate of memory.” The clear diction he uses allows for the reader to imagine his workplace, specifically his desk “jars jammed with pens, notebooks and reams of blank paper.” It’s also interesting to note that he treats his poems as if they were dreams.
DeleteJane Alavez
ReplyDeleteThe first poem that caught my attention was "Candle Hat". It probed the humor behind a legendary painter Francisco de Goya. The author poked fun at Goya for using a hat of his invention. A hat that allowed him to work at night because of the candles that fitted the brim. What makes the poem funny is the use of imagery. Collins' describes a scene in which Goya presents his hat to his wife, "laughing like a birthday cake when she saw the glow" and "flickering through the rooms of his house with all the shadows flying across the walls". The idea of a candle hat is crazy, and the author doesn't waste a single word in the poem to prove it so. As an artist who makes art pieces at crazy hours whenever inspiration strikes, this poem genuinely made me laugh. The Candle Hat was truly innovative.
The second poem is "Directions". It's a beautiful poem that's simple as it is complex. The author takes the reader on an adventure, giving directions through the woods and leading them through a long hike in the woods. The author takes care to describe the nature you'd see along the way. He paints a picture of "yellow primroses" and "tall hemlocks, dark green now against the light-brown fallen leaves". At first, this poem moves quickly, and it's almost overwhelming. Then, when the directions stop, the author describes a quiet and still image of the reader soaking in the nature around them. It's almost as if the nature around you is moving with you. He personifies simple elements like light and the earth, "how the voices of light enter the body and begin to recite their stories" and "how the earth holds us painfully against its breast". This poem feels like a breath of fresh air. It's a moving piece that really helps me take a moment to appreciate the beauty that this earth provides us.
"The Night House" is the final poem I picked. Personification is used in every inch of this poem. The author imagines what happens when our bodies are resting in the dead of the night. What he envisions is most intriguing. He sees the heart rising and sitting at the kitchen table and heating some milk in a pan. Then, the mind puts on a robe and smokes a cigarette while reading a book. The soul is on the roof singing a song. It's all an honest interpretation of what he thinks his body does to comfort itself from the "fields of the world". It's an interesting concept, and to me it's mysterious. It leaves you to wonder why he gave his mind, heart, and soul, a human description. He gave them the freedom to do what they please. He does it all, only to take away their freedom and humanity in the final words of the poem, "before bending again to its labor". It's a haunting poem, and that's why I picked it.
Jane, Billy Collins does use a lot of vivid imagery in "Candle Hat," but I do not feel he uses it to be humorous. Rather I think he is just trying to relay the idea that Goya was quite unique and seemed to be more lighthearted than the darker paintings he created, such as his painting “Saturn Devouring his Son.” I believe Collins is trying to show that although the idea of a hat with candles on it is unusual, it helped make Goya a painter for the history books due to his eccentricity.
Delete“Directions” is absolutely beautiful! However I don’t feel that it is simple. I feel that Collins puts immense thought into the directions he gives and how he details their appearances, even when it might have been easier to give less elaborate instructions. I also agree with your interpretation of the poem after the directions, with its complexities regarding personatificaiton of nature and the detail of the surroundings.
As for “Night House,” Collins does use many instances of personification throughout this poem. I particularly enjoy the part where he talks about the soul receding back into the body, comparing it to a flock of birds roosting in a tree. It is indeed a haunting poem, yet still eloquent and almost peaceful in my opinion.
The first poem that interested me was the “rival poet”. In this poem Collins is hinting that his “rival” so to speak has created far more pieces of work. I think one could assume that if this rival is a real person that there was some problems in the past because who just has a rivalry with another author unless a certain event happened where one screwed you over. Nobody just has a rival. The first stanza says “Always introducing your latest one” - meaning his rival always has to just show off. He/she can’t just let their work be praised humbly. “Looms over me like roman architecture”; Roman architecture is grand and threatening as the word “loom” is what I presumed to insinuate. It implies that the rival’s work hangs over him just begging to be shoved in his face with Collins unable to miss it with his rival wanting him to know he is better, even if the rival intentionally doesn’t do this. It could just be that the rival’s rise to success wasn’t from pure talent rather doing what the audience appeals to. The stanza about his revenge dream is funny, almost, in the way he portrays it. Cleary it’s a well thought dream from anger and he is trying to be the least humble in his dream too. In his dream he “is the one poised on the marble staircase high above the crowded ballroom” showing that he is being praised not his rival. He is shown with a countessa while his rival is with “some local cindy”. In his dream he does everything his rival does in real life. Shove it in their face. I think anyone can relate to this message.
ReplyDeleteThe second poem I chose was “Monday Morning” which I think for obvious reasons. As a
student I resonated with the word play; “A cockatoo swinging freely in her green mind as if on some drug dissolved”. Clearly this student is a huge procrastinator with not only the fact that she is doing her homework the day of with a cup of coffee trying to keep her awake, but she can’t pay attention. The cockatoo represents the aimlessness going on inside her head. She’s rather thinking of anything other than the task at hand which is causing the procrastination to continue forth more. There is an anxious tone to this narration of a stressed child; “Who chews her pen for an hour” “as a frown darkens”, referring to a bad grade as a “catastrophe”. The last line states, “dorm of nobody who would bother to pull an A or care” which makes me believe that the student finally decides to give up and accept her fate. She didn’t do her homework on time and clearly is very conscientious of her grades, but she finally realizes that not everyone strives like her and they’re still passing. They’re still graduating (as referenced by the line “procession of classmates”), so she should be able to slack off for once. This time got the best of her. We can’t all be perfect.
The last poem I enjoyed was “Budapest”. I don’t think it was necessarily about writer’s block, but it was his sort of own version of aimlessness like the Monday Morning poem, but he is the girl this time. He sits down to write, but it isn’t going anywhere, in fact his writing is all over the place “like the snout of a strange animal shaped like a human arm… loose green sweater.” The loose green sweater implies it’s flopping around not being concise. It’s just a mess, like his writing is. Who knows maybe he has to write for work, but whatever it is isn’t working, he’s just doing it to finish the task, not necessarily do it well. He implies this with the line “intent as any forager that has nothing on its mind but the grubs and insects that will allow it to live another day”. The forager is trying to survive which is a metaphor for whatever task has to be finished. Collins just has to get it over with and finish. The entire time he is dreaming of budapest while he is “writing a few more dutiful lines”, you know just a dash of some iambic pentameter and voila his assignment is done and he can move on with his day. It’s just interesting to see that even in his own profession some things just aren’t done to its fullest extent.
Anna, when I read Budapest, I had a totally different interpretation of the poem. But, after reading what you just wrote, I see how you interpreted it and it brings a whole new image and deeper meaning to the poem. I personally did not read between the lines and see the deeper meaning; the metaphors throughout the poem helped me to picture what was going on in the poem. Now I understand the poem in context to the whole book of poetry. I completely agree with your interpretation of the line “intent as any forager that has nothing on its mind but the grubs and insects that will allow it to live another day.” It is a metaphor about how he is trying to survive just another day and finish the task at hand. I also agree with you when you said that “Collins just has to get over with and finish.” He is dreaming of going to Budapest, but not doing anything about it.
DeleteAlso, I had the same interpretation to “Monday Morning” because I am very similar to her; I am a procrastinator. I always avoid the task at hand and think of other stuff to do. Sometimes I have the cockatoo in my head.
The three poems that appealed to me the most were “Winter Syntax,” “Days” and “Budapest.” Winter Syntax appealed to me because there were a lot of similes and metaphors throughout the poem. I am really able to visualize and connect to the poem through Collins’ use of similes and metaphors. For example, the simile in line 7 “You hold a girl’s face in your hands like a vase” helps me to imagine how tightly you are holding onto the girls face, because when holding a vase, you hold it tight and do not want to drop it. Also, Line 17 also really stuck out to me. Collins’ word choice of “Every lake is a vowel, every island a noun.” Using a simile first, and then a metaphor compares the lake with a vowel and an island with a noun, but also shows the relationship between a lake and an island, just like how nouns have vowels in them. I love to write like how Collins’ did in this poem using similes and metaphors to compare many things. I feel that similes and metaphors make what people are reading easy to relate to.
ReplyDeleteAfter the first line, I knew that “Days” would be one of the poems I appealed to the most. Collins’ starts it off with “Each one is a gift, no doubt.” I immediately connected to this poem because I personally believe that each day you live is a blessing. You should not take it for granted because some people’s life gets cut short for no reason. Also, I loved the imagery in the second stanza. I could close my eyes and picture the image Collins is trying to create. I had to read the 5th stanza a couple times before I could fully get the meaning, and it turned out to be my favorite stanza of that whole poem. I interpreted that poem as once you get ready and go on with your day (get over all of the bad stuff) you will be wanted just one more day, because you realize it is not as bad as you expected. One more day could change your life.
The last poem that appealed to be was “Budapest” because of the figurative language and imagery. If I closed my eyes and someone read this poem out loud to me, I could picture the whole thing in my head because of Collins’ word choice. He writes “loose green sweater, “sniffing the paper ceaselessly,” “plaid shirt.” Using these descriptive words helps to create an image in my mind of the poem. He also uses similes which help me interpret the poem better: “My pen moves along the page like the snout of a strange animal.” I can vividly imagine a person writing very aggressively because of the comparison Collins used.
In response to Hannahs take on the poem “Winter Syntax” I also admired the poem due to its numerous amounts of comparisons. From the first line, “ A sentence starts out like a lone traveler…” My mind immediately visualized someone walking against the storm having no place to go but already knows that it will work out, such as a sentence does. Usually when I start a sentence the words flow out and finish themselves, I don't construct the sentence before my pencil hits the paper, it automatically goes one word after another. Similarly starting as a “lone traveler”. I believe this poem was also full of images because of how many metaphors and similes were there, it made reading and understanding this poem very effortlessly. I also admire how Collins connects one point to another so easily. At first I didn't really think much of how well nouns and vowels go together. I knew that vowels make words and some words are nouns, but it didn't cross my mind that islands are made up of bodies of water such as lakes, in the same way nouns are made up of vowels. Lastly, when Collins says “you hold a girl’s face in your hands like a vase” not only can the reader immediately pictured this but can see the connection between the two as well. You hold a vase with a strong grip but also not to strong for it to break, there is always a touch of delicacy such as when you hold someones face.
DeleteBefore completing the second portion of our blog assignment, check to see that your first entry did in fact post. If you don't see it, please email me that entry asap (dawsonw@whbschools.org) and I will post it for you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for checking in and posting the first portion of the summer assignment. I look forward to learning which poems interested you, hearing your comments to one another, and discussing with you in person in September!
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
P.S. Your second comment will not require moderation but should publish immediately. Email me if you do not see it after you post and refresh the blog.
ReplyDeleteThe poem that most caught my attention was Picnic Lightning. At first, I didn’t think much of it. The message of life’s unpredictability just didn’t seem to speak to me. But not 20 minutes after reading it, I watched one of my friends have a seizure on the Lifeguard stand and fall almost 10 feet to the ground. I was dumbstruck. When I woke up that morning, I would never have guessed that in less than 4 hours I would watch someone come within inches of “the instant hand of death”. After she was driven away in the ambulance the poem, seemed to take on a different tone. I began to focus less on the dreary beginning and more on the final two stanzas, where Collins attempts to convey the idea that we should not dwell on the unpredictable nature of life, but instead focus on what a privilege each moment is.
ReplyDeleteThis poem appealed to me because it reminded me of my Grandfather. More specifically, it made me think about how I remember him. In the beginning, the poem seems to be about the changes that take place over time, so slow and subtle that we hardly realize them until one day we turn around and say, “when did that stop?” or “why did we ever stop doing that?” But the poems ending, “And now my father, after a life of work, wears a hat of earth, and on top of that, a lighter one of cloud and sky-a hat of wind.” Makes it clear that the poem is actually a reflection on Collins’s father. When Collins looks back at his father’s life, like most people, the memories he cherishes aren’t always words of wisdom, or time spent alone together, it’s the little things, like how he wore a hat everyday of his life. When I think about my Grandpa, I don’t remember advice he gave me or places we went, I remember how whenever I had a piece of cake, pie, or a cookie, he would always jokingly ask me for a piece, and I would always offer him everything left on the plate.
This poem really stood out to me because of Collins’s use of imagery and personification. The way he describes the weight of history’s overcoat and his walk into town, although brief, really pulled me into the story. When he returns “covered with icicles” I actually felt the brutal chill of the wind. As for personification, History is portrayed as violent and full of anger, which makes sense because it is full of wars and conflict. When Collins returns the overcoat, his “blustering anger” caused history to search his coat and make sure nothing was missing. I feel that history’s anger and the line “no major battle or English queen had fallen out and become lost in the deep snow” is Collins’s way of pointing out how important all of history is and how we must work to preserve it.
In response to Jimmy Moran: Picnic Lightning was a poem I also considered writing about on my blog. This poem summarizes the simple truth that almost none are willing to admit: the human body is frail, and death has the ability to snatch us away at any moment. This poem seems to specifically target young people, as they tend to believe that they are invincible and are unaware of just how quickly life can go dreadfully wrong in just a few heartbeats. A random flash of lightning, a falling object, or a failing heart can strike at any time, and leave many people in misery at the loss of a loved one. A particular quote that struck me was “the instant hand of Death - always ready to burst forth - from the sleeve of his voluminous cloak”. This quote caught my eye because of its striking similarity to the poem I wrote about, called “My Number”. In both poems, Death is personified and draws a weapon of some sort towards the narrator. This idea, present across multiple poems, shows that Collins believes death is aware of its actions, and is a hunter that seeks out people to kill, seemingly at random. This view of death is something that I do not particularly agree with, but I understand why it would seem that way.
DeleteThe poems in “Sailing Alone Around the Room” written by Billy Collins vary from satiric to serious, and all convey precise diction and detail. The piece “Victoria’s Secret,” a humorous and satirical poem, stresses how consumed the narrator is by a meaningless Victoria’s Secret magazine. Collins exaggerates in describing the models in the pages reacting to himself. For example, he states that the one of the women looks particularly happy to see him, and that another is looking at him over her bare shoulder. He imagines a woman in a specific picture saying to him, “Go ahead, fling [my gown] into the fireplace.” He then creates scenarios in his head based on the expressions on the women’s faces. He notices a woman pouting, and explains that “perhaps her ice cream has tumbled out of its cone onto the parquet floor.” This type of diction, showing that he is clearly viewing the women in a ridiculously realistic manner, is what makes the piece light and humorous. Collins also uses precise detail in order to add a humorous tone. For example, he describes the “knotted shoulder straps available in black, champagne, almond, cinnabar ... and periwinkle.” I enjoy this piece because it’s a satire of advertising, showing how easily someone can be manipulated by the media. The second poem which interested me was “Serenade,” a poem regarding Collins’ idea of how he will win a woman’s love with his unique relationship to music. The details Collins uses to describe his love for music separates him from the other boys, as he describes himself with “a double reed in my mouth, or my fingers crossed over a row of wakeful strings.” He also describes specific and unique instruments he will use to gain love, such as the “pyrophone” and the “double-lap dulcimer.” He believes he will be the one to capture this woman’s love; “I will be the irresistible misfit who sends up over a ledge of flowers sounds no woman has ever heard.” I believe I was drawn to this poem because of the stress on music throughout the piece, which is something I’ve always felt very attached to. I also enjoyed reading the poem because of the passion and determination delivered by Collins. I was also very intrigued by the poem “Man Listening to Disc,” which discusses an experience of walking down the city streets whilst listening to music. He explains the setting through detail and imagery, with phrases like “music flowing through the soft calipers of these headphones.” He also identifies different sounds as senses, as Collins writes, “with phrases from his saxophone— some like honey, some like vinegar” and then uses personification in the phrase “because the five of us, instruments and all, are about to angle over to the south side of the street.” Collins shows how much music affects him, and describes the feelings he gets when listening to music with unique choices. All of his poems share very specific details in different ways, immersing a reader into Collins’s rooted thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThe poem My Number by Billy Collins appealed to me in the sense that it allowed me to question and analyze Collins’s take on the theme of mortality. Collins presents the shuddery thought we all must face and ponder in our lives: death. He expresses his thoughts on this intimate subject by personifying death itself. These qualities are seen in the utilization of personal pronouns combined with the human characteristic of choice and free will given to Death. Death is not spontaneous, but well thought out as seen through it’s actions. Death, portrayed as ‘he’ may be “too busy making arrangements” or “breathing down the neck of a lost hiker in British Columbia”, these activities provide additional evidence that death intentionally stages fatal incidents. This emphasis of choice reveals that humans cannot choose or predict who ‘Death’ interacts with. The humanization of Death can be tied into the shift of personal pronouns seen at the end of the poem. Death who was once a “he” is now a “this”. It is interesting because the personification of death ends, but the concept of a human form of death itself is ongoing as the author attempts to persuade death to let him live.
ReplyDeleteThe second poem that appealed to me was Nostalgia because it’s Collins way of relating to readers that dwell on the past and romanticize the future. Collins utilizes detail that translates into effective imagery to emphasize his warm feelings about the good old days, but it is evident that every day fits into the category of the ‘good old days’ besides the present. This concept is seen in the details surrounding each time period, from the 1340s and the remembrance of capes, “the ones with unicorns and pomegranates in needle work” to reminiscing about months before, “when we picked berries and glided through afternoons in a canoe”. These examples paint a peaceful image in your mind, and that the past is infinitely more superior than the current moment. He questions the future, where people “are doing a dance we cannot imagine” — revealing that not only was the past better than the current, but even the future is better despite the unknowingness going forward.
The third poem, The History Teacher, addresses the power of education as a tool for growth and ignorance as a weapon. Although with good intentions, the history teacher shields his students from the true nature of the world. Irony is initially seen in the title. A history teacher’s sole purpose is to promote positive growth by showing students right from wrong through the lens of events and faults in history, but the teacher interprets his job to promote growth by protecting the innocence of his students. This, in effect, leads to acts of destruction seen as the children “torment the weak and the smart” once they leave the classroom simply due to their lack of the truth. I find this poem to be satirical due to the portrayal of unintentional consequences of innocent minded actions.
Juliet, I also really enjoyed the poem The History Teacher. I almost wrote about it in my blog! I feel like this poem really represents the world we live in today. As tension and war is occurring in the world around us, history teachers may feel obligated to sugar coat reality to their young students. I know most educators even hide their political identity or opinions in order to maintain neutrality and peace in the classroom. I often wonder if this is hindering the education that students receive. For the past two years we have taken Ap World and Ap US history, but I can't remember a time where we spoke upon current or recent historical issues. In fact I feel left out and quite clueless when I read the newspaper and it's all new to me. I think Billy Collins does a perfect job at expressing the reluctance that history teachers have when speaking about past negativity in the world. He does this by replacing the names of wars and other dark occurrences with happier and false events. I guess that could be considered as the figurative language of metaphor? I think in a utopia this would be the ideal way of teaching young children about the past, avoiding to poison their minds with thoughts of violence.
DeletePurity
ReplyDelete“Purity” speaks to me because Billy Collins expresses his need to be free. Although Collins explains his ritual to become his truest self through explicit physical imagery, he is using this all as a metaphor for the emotional cleanse it takes for him to be his raw self. It seems that Collins is inclined to shut out most of reality until he reveals, at the end of the poem, that he rewards himself with one of nature’s greatest treasures- a sunset. By adding this detail, Collins submits himself to the idea that reality and nature can be inspiring too.
Monday Morning
Collins uses tone and detail in “Monday Morning” to convey a sense of misery, tension, stress, and a need to escape from reality (similar to purity). Collins implies that the mysterious star of the poem is bored and trapped in her oppressive routine. Her mediocre situation is exaggerated in her own mind to be terrible. This poem appeals to me, as a student, because of parallel experiences I’ve had in the past. I like Collin’s detail about her daydreaming because it suggests that it is her only opportunity to add variety and excitement to this young woman’s tired habits.
Morning
Collins’s poem “Morning” speaks to me because of its imagery. I agree with him that the morning is a special and almost magical time. It is filled with hopefulness and possibility. One of my favorite sounds is the one of an espresso machine in use and it just so happens that another one of my favorite sounds is the sound that the first person awake makes when they carefully walk around the house, trying not to stir other sleepers- he seems to agree that the combination of these two sounds is a staple of mornings at home. Collins writes about the energy and bustle that one possesses in the beginning of the day, contrary to the feelings evoked in his poem “Monday Morning”, which had more of a dreaded outlook on mornings.
Elena, with the poem “Purity,” I find Collins’ extended metaphor quite unsettling, but I can see the connection with his writing and his emotional and physical “baggage.” It’s understandable that one would want to write with a clean slate and without the “preoccupations of the body.” These “preoccupations” would seem as an unneeded distraction in the writing process, but I am confused in his reasoning. Why would he consider his bones as pure, but not the rest of his body? What makes them purer than the rest?
DeleteI completely agree with your statements regarding the poem “Monday Morning,” and can clearly visualize the misery and tension that the student is feeling, especially with diction such as “catastrophe,” “darkens,” and “fear.” This feeling is particularly familiar in school and is relatable in such a way that is perfectly exaggerated in this poem, and I’m sure that most students would also agree. As a student, every grade seems as the most important and is exaggerated in the incomprehensibility that one grade most likely won’t be able to affect the rest of our lives.
“Morning” is one of the poems that I was thinking of blogging about for the previous assignment. I was also drawn to the use of imagery, particularly the “night with his notorious perfumes,” and “heavy clouds on the way.” I’ve always attributed the night to having a certain scent, and I know exactly what Collins is referring to when he says “notorious perfumes.” The tone of this poem is very clear and gives me a feeling of cleanliness and familiarity, which is also associated with a new day and a brand new start.
Hi Elena, in the poem Purity I do agree with your viewpoint of the poem. But, I also think the emotional cleanse that he takes to show his true self, is also to help with his writing. From detaching himself from all things him he is able to write from any perspective. I think that this idea is most conveyed when he says “I do this so that what I write will be pure”. Monday Morning does convey all the things you pointed out, the stress and misery a common student feels on a Monday. A very common trait, you pointed out as well, students tend to posse especially as teens, is the tendency to exaggerate, which I often do. The final poem Morning you said you agree with him that the morning is “a special and almost magical time”, I personally don’t agree with this because I am not a morning person, but how you perceive the morning and how Collins does is very similar. I liked how you compared your favorite things in the morning to his. Overall I found it interesting how you discussed the poem but also how each poem related to each other as well.
DeleteMy Number
ReplyDeleteI admire Collins’ take on the concept of death in this poem. He uses rhetorical questions almost playfully as he uses personification to talk about death. At the end of the poem, he states, “as I start talking my way out of this.” when referring to Death coming to his cottage, if only Death could be so easily convinced. This sentence particularly stuck out to me as it reminded me of thoughts that have struck my mind. At one point in our lives, I believe we all have felt invincible, as if death is something that won't affect us.
The Wires of the Night
I lost my uncle who was 47 last August. This poem brought me back to the church service, his two daughters both in their early teens crying in the pew infront of mine. The line, “a voice shaking over the telephone” was a sentence I felt had a strong effect. When first reading this poem, or if someone has not lost a loved one, this sentence may be overlooked. The simplicity of this statement, connects all deaths. I can remember the call about my uncle, my grandma over the phone, voice shaking. I’m sure other readers remember a very similar call, about someone just as important to them. In this simple sentence, all deaths seem the same, insignificant. He ends this poem by describing how his life continued on after this passing. As much as life seems to stop after losing someone you love, it doesn’t. There is beauty and sadness in that.
On Turning Ten
When you are a toddler, being one year older than “this many” seems amazing. All toddlers want to do is grow up, hence the “and a half” added at the end of their age. When you hit your thirties, however, you would do anything to subtract years, to stay young. At the tender age of 10 is when most kids realize they are not a little baby anymore. Double digits, although first sounding exciting, hits with a big dose of the “real world”. Collins perfectly describes the ability to be anything when you were a child with statements like, “at four i was an Arabian wizard” and “at seven i was a soldier”. However, he also shows how the magic has left after “turning the first big number” by saying how his bike lost its speed and how he has to say goodbye to his imaginary friends. This is the first step into reality, towards adulthood, the “beginning of sadness”.
Out of the many Billy Collins poems that I scoured, several of them resonated with me. The poems that I could build a connection to were “Another Reason Why I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House,” “Morning,” and “Where I Live.” These poems don’t have anything particularly in common with each other; rather they all resonate with me in completely different ways.
ReplyDeleteOf the three poems that I chose, “Another Reason Why I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House” resonates with me the most. I can connect with this poem because I feel the same way towards many things that surround me in my household. One of the major culprits of making my temper flare is my sister. Just as Collins spoke about the incessant barking of the dogs invading the peaceful symphonies of Beethoven, the heinous music that my sister blares ceaselessly assaults my eardrums. The tone of the poem is very clearly one of frustration. The line in which he says “barking, barking, barking,” signifies just how prevalent this annoyance is to him, fully showing his frustration.
The second poem that I chose was “Morning.” Morning appeals to me as a poem because that is my favorite time of the day. Now while I may despise actually waking up in the morning, once I awake I am filled with a certain calmness that slowly ebbs away along with the passage of time. However, the morning that Collins writes about differs quite drastically from my own. He separates ideas, and actions, throughout the poem with the use of hyphens. This repetitive use of hyphens to break up thought parallels a feeling of being rushed. Furthermore, Collins use of the word “buzzing” shows that he is zipping around his house like a bee in the morning, adding to the feeling of being rushed.
The third poem that I chose was “Where I Live.” This poem originally appealed to me because of its title. Where I live plays a huge factor (obviously) in my everyday life. The close proximity to the ocean has shaped me as a person, developing my love for the outdoors. The line in which Collins states, “there is a wide lawn, a long brick path,” makes me think not of a brick path at my own house, rather I can relate that line to the wide expanse of the dunes, and the long winding path that leads down to my favorite beach. The overall tone of the poem could be considered one of peace, or of familiarity. When Collins speaks of “watching the trees full of light-green buds under the low hood of the sky,” it shows that he enjoys where he lives enough to derive entertainment simply by gazing at the scenery. I resonate with this completely, as I derive much pleasure by gazing out across the vast expanse of ocean.
Hello Chris. I like your analysis of Morning, although I see it just a little different. Reading this poem, I felt like I really relate to the beginning, for I feel like if I don't get an early morning start to the day, then what is the rest of the day? I interpreted the "buzzing" not as a rush per say, but a source of energy. I really got this thought from my own person experience. I think the buzzing represents energy. To wake up in the morning, collecting energy as you peak your energy for the day (breakfast is the most important meal of the day!), and getting ready to face another day with a cleared mind. The buzzing is refreshing and renewing and revamping. The buzzing represents... for example, before the opera, before the lights are dimmed, the crowd's low mummer that gets louder as the excitement builds. You get what I mean? I think thats as much in depth I will explain it. Cheerio!
DeleteThe poem “Where I Live” also appealed to me. I can relate to how living near water has impacted my life. Whether it was the pool, the bay or the ocean, swimming and being in water has been a part of my life since I was very young. As Chris said, the tone of the poem is very peaceful and calm. Collin uses many examples of nature to exemplify this, such as “There is a wide lawn, a long brick path, rhododendrons, and large, heavy maples.” I also liked how you referred to the quote “watching the trees full of light-green buds under the low hood of the sky,”. This is a great piece of imagery that shows how Collins appreciate the presence of nature where he lives. I also enjoyed your response to “Morning”. When I think of the word morning, I think of a cool, relaxing summer’s morning as the sun is just rising in the sky. In Collin’s poem, his idea of a morning is waking up and rushing around the house; performing many tasks in a short amount of time. When Collin uses the quote, “heavy clouds on the way”, I picture the day being dreary and miserable, with rain clouds in the sky all day long. It is interesting how people can perceive a morning in such different ways.
DeleteAfter reading The Poetry of Billy Collins the poems that have remained with me the most are Books from The Apple That Astonished Paris (1998), The Best Cigarette and Dancing Towards Bethlehem from The Art of Drowning (1995). The poem Books uses personification to amplify and create a feeling of life inside the empty library; “from the heart of this dark, evacuated campus I can hear the library humming in the night, a choir of authors murmuring inside their books.” The narrator envisions figures reading and reflects on his past, such as his mother reading to him as a child and himself building bookshelves while in college. The narrator concludes with the idea that we read in order to find a “light” or “truth” about ourselves to distance ourselves from our own ideas until we become the book itself. The next poem The Best Cigarette reflects on the many wonderful cigarettes the narrator had before quitting. He describes the glowing tip of the cigarette as the light of a ship. A profound sense of imagery can be envisioned when the narrator describes his cigarette after dinner “a smoke ring coasting into the chandelier” and his smoke after a visit to the beach “with fingers still wet from a swim.” However, the best ones were those when he could write and have his cigarettes with him as a sign of progression, industry, and thought. That cigarette represented the growing movement the nineteenth century had and gave it hope. The last poem Dancing Towards Bethlehem is a declaration of love the narrator has for his significant other. The final moments of the twentieth century are represented as the final moments of his life. The impactful imagery illustrates his ultimate desire to dance with his significant other in a beachside hotel “my palm would press into the small of your back… the orchestra sliding into the sea.” As their old world slips away they continue dancing towards Bethlehem, representing the end of the century as the birth of a new one.
ReplyDeleteBrenda, I also enjoyed the poem Books. When I read this poem, and wrote my response, I didn’t even think about the fact that the author was trying to “create a feeling of life inside the empty library.” I thought that since the author loves to read, possibly because of when his mother used to read to him, he was already connected to the library. But after I read your response, and reread the poem, I understand your point of view. When I read the poem, I immediately connected with it, because I love to read. Now rereading the poem again after 2 weeks, and reading your response, I agree with your interpretation of the poem. I do think that your interpretation of the ending of the poem is very interesting. I don’t think that the author ends the poem with the idea that “we read in order to find a ‘light’ or ‘truth’ about ourselves to distance ourselves from our own ideas until we become the book itself.” I do think that when people read, it is to distance ourselves from ourselves and that we sometimes end up finding ourselves in the book. However, I don’t think the author meant that we can’t do all of those things until we become the book itself. I think that the author believes that in order to become the book ourselves, we have to disconnect from our own thoughts, and find ourselves in the book.
DeleteThe three poems that were most meaningful to me were “The Lesson”, “Days”, and “The Three Wishes”. These poems not only made me appreciate the little details in life, but they also made me remember the significance of these details. In “The Lesson”, Collins personified history by describing it, “snoring heavily on the couch.” He also used the weight of History’s jacket to symbolize the importance of history, saying it would protect him on his cold walk to the village. This was significant to me because it reinforced the power of history, and how understanding the past could help protect you from consequences in the future. Collins used diction such as “blustering anger” and “rummage” to convey the importance of every piece in History’s overcoat. If every piece is not conserved, then history could be misunderstood and repeat itself. The diction helped show how angry History was and how concerned he was that a piece might have gone missing. In the poem “Days”, Collins illustrated how precious each day is by comparing it to a tower of dishes. He uses diction such as “gift”, “precarious”, and “impossible” to describe how fragile and amazing life is. Although everything may seem in place, life sits precariously and at any moment it could end, and the tower of dishes could fall over. If we thought about life in this way we wouldn’t take it for granted and would, “hold our breath,” each time we placed another dish on the tower. His use of diction and an indebted tone help portray the importance of every single day and how we should treat each day as a gift. The last poem, “The Three Wishes”, was meaningful to me because it made me grateful for the things I have, regardless of how small they may seem. The woodsman and his wife were granted three wishes by a genie, but they were blinded by their emotions and let their wishes go to waste. Collins goes on to tell that they were unable to overcome their remorseful situation because they had no imaginative flair, and nothing can be created from nothing. This statement made me appreciate the small things in my life such as talent, resources, and education because without any of those you have no platform to build from. If the couple was more educated or resourceful they would be able to make a more educated and beneficial wish for themselves that could have aided them for the rest of their lives. Collins also stated, “Three wishes is three wishes too many,” however, he did feel a “quiver” of sympathy for the woodsman. Do you think that the couple should have received any wishes? Do you feel sympathy for the couple? What would you wish for in their situation?
ReplyDeleteCole, I also enjoyed reading the poem The Lesson and it was one of the poems that I considered writing about in my first blog post. I agree with you in your interpretation of this poem in how it shows the importance of history but I feel that history's blustering anger is towards humanity treating history as it was insignificant, as history was the one that had to make sure that no part of it was left lost in the snow. I agree with you in the fact that the poem shows the importance of history and how losing parts of it can lead to it repeating but I feel that it also highlights how humanity can disregard the importance of history by focusing on its day-to-day life. The last poem you chose to write about, The Three Wishes, also appealed to me as it made me thankful to have the life I have. It made me appreciative by showing this horrible situation that could have been solved if they had the things that people take for granted every day such as a good education, good health, and a sense of imagination. Cole, one of your questions asks about whether or not the couple deserved to have wishes but I think that the only reason that the genie offered them three wishes is because he knew that they would be wasted.
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DeleteCole, I really enjoyed reading the poem The Three Wishes as well. I found the line, “Nothing can come from nothing” very interesting as well. I feel this line was very important because it showed that you van not create something if you have no tools to build it. This is expressed throughout this poem when the three wishes given to this couple are completely wasted. In my opinion the couple did not deserve to have these wishes granted to them because they did not know what to do with them. They seemed petty and selfish. I do feel sympathy for the couple, especially the woodsman because all he wanted was food because he was starving. Although it was a foolish request it was all he wanted in the moment. I think it is important to appreciate the simple things in life, but this couple could easily have made their lives better if they had wished for something useful for themselves. In their position I would have wished that my wife and I would stay healthy, and that we would be given so much money that we would never have to worry about it again. The message in this poem to me is not to squander good opportunities when they present themselves to you.
Nostalgia: When I read this poem I found that it made me think of my own childhood and the things that were popular as I was growing up. The poem discusses popular dance moves throughout different time periods. These dance moves remind me of some of the dance moves that have gained popularity in recent years. Just like the dance moves from previous time periods, these more recent dance moves will eventually become something of the past. The dance moves will fade and the years will keep going as new dance moves surface. In the future, long after I have passed the dance moves that I know and love will most likely be replaced with new ones. The line, “The 1790s will never come again” makes me think about how the previous years will never be relived. There is no way to go back, despite how much you may miss a certain year. Collins keeps repeating how he wants to go back to certain years in the past. However, this is not possible and it makes the reader think about how they can never go back to the previous years of their life. Collins uses great imagery throughout the poem to help us imagine how great the culture and life was back in the previous years. He closes off the poem with a line that really makes the reader think about our culture being forgotten. Throughout the piece he uses dance to create an example of culture being forgotten. This example allows everyone to think about the dances in their own culture becoming extinct which leads the reader to question themselves about when their culture will die out.
ReplyDeleteAdvice to writers: As a person who enjoys writing, I often struggle with writers block and not always liking the things that I write. I think that it is nice that Collins wrote a poem to fellow writers to help them improve their writing. I also think that it is important to find a neat place to write. I find that writing in a more organized space allows your thoughts and ideas to flow better, providing a better piece of writing. Collins uses metaphors and imagery throughout this piece to show how important it is to write in a neat and organized space. I like how he tells the reader to even clean the open fields to help you write better. He uses the idea of nature throughout his piece just like many of his other poems. The ending to this poem carries along with his nature theme by calling the “pages with tiny sentences” “long rows of devoted ants”. As a writer, this poem inspires me to clean up my desk and look at the nature around me to inspire me and help me improve upon my writing.
The flight of the reader: This poem made me think about who I am as a person and the deeper meaning of the things that I do. Personally, I don’t love easily but once I do I can never truly stop loving that person or thing. Once I love something I don’t want it to ever leave me. This poem appealed to me so much because it was open to interpretation for whatever or whoever you love. I have had people and things I love leave me through some unfortunate situations so I could relate to many of the points that Collins makes throughout this poem. Thinking about this poem makes me remember all of the things I love that have left or disappeared from my life. The line “I hate to think of that morning when I will wake up to find you gone” really speaks to me because it really is that easy to lose something you love. One morning you just wake up and it’s gone, leaving you seemingly alone. It’s true that I am young and don’t quite understand what love exactly is, but my idea of love, whatever that may be, makes this poem really stand out to me. Collins again uses his realistic imagery to make you feel his emotion as well as your own. It allows you to feel as though you just lost something that you love as well. The ending really speaks to me because it shows how complicated emotions can be. Emotions are a roller coaster that are hard to explain and hard to work through. I think everyone knows this very well. No matter how much you try to describe how you feel it will never come out perfect. “It’s not like that. Not exactly.”
The three poems in Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins that interested me the most were "Books" (page 12), "My Number" (page 14), and "On Turning Ten" (page 63). Each of these three poems used a variety of literary devices to convey a deeper meaning than what was apparent at first glance.
ReplyDeleteThe poem "Books" opens with the author remarking about a library which is, despite being in a "dark, evacuated campus", still bustling with the activity of the books themselves. Billy goes on to describe various scenarios of people reading, describing them as "touring an a house of endless, paneled rooms" and "reading ourselves away from ourselves". The tone of this poem is thoughtful and light, as the author is explaining these scenarios in a distant way. He uses diction to support this tone, such as "a low, gigantic chord of language". Collins ends the poem with imagery by comparing a book with a path through the woods. He says that "evening is shadowing the forest and small birds flutter down to consume the crumbs".
The poem "My Number" has a much different feel to it than "Books". "My Number" is different because it has a dark and foreboding tone, as opposed to the lighthearted tone of "Books". The author begins this poem by wondering if death (which is personified in this poem) is stalking strangers that are far away and of little concern to the narrator. The poem quickly turns frantic after this point, as the narrator sees a stranger who seems menacing retrieving a weapon from his car. Collins uses similes like "scattering cancer cells like seeds" and "its hood raised like the head of a crow" to add to the sense of impending doom felt by the narrator.
The final poem, "On Turning Ten" was perhaps the most thought-provoking poem of the three poems that I chose. This poem tells the tale of a nine year old boy who is turning ten. This child sees the age of ten as the gateway to adulthood, and feels that turning ten will cause him to lose his innocence and the joy of being able to imagine other worlds and places. He says that "at four I was an Arabian wizard", "At seven I was a soldier, at nine a prince". When the boy finally turns ten, he feels like his world has turned bleak. He uses imagery to support this idea, saying that his bicycle, once used often, had, "all the dark blue speed drained out of it". The poem finishes with the boy feeling sad about the event of saying goodbye to his imaginary friends.
After reading these poems, I have a couple questions that have lingered with me. Some of these questions are: Why is the narrator of "My Number" so terrified of death? Why does the boy in "On Turning Ten" feel that all of his joy in life has ceased to exist? Finally, what purpose does the third paragraph in "Books" serve?
Billy, I think that the third paragraph of books serves to show the reader how, at a young age, the narrator developed a love for books and knowledge. When he looks back on his life, the first place he remembers forming any kind of relationship with literature is when his mother read him bedtime stories like Hansel and Gretel, which he alludes throughout the poem. I also the tone of this poem is quite “thoughtful” in a reflective way but lonely rather than “light” since from the beginning it’s clear that the reading is a solitary activity. The picture Collins paints of a man reading shows him as cut off from others, enraptured in the new reality he has immersed himself in through these books. I think to Collins, the murmuring voices of the books are his friends, and “when evening is shadowing the forest, and small birds flutter down to consume the crumbs” Collins’s friends leave him, and he is left stranded, alone, in the real world. I also disagree with your opinion that the young boy in Turning Ten feels all the joy in his life has ceased to exist, rather, that at the ripe old age of ten he has begun to realize that there is another side to the world that he had never noticed before, one with death, pain, and suffering, and he is unsure how to process this realization.
DeleteBilly, the narrator of "My Number" is so terrified of death because he does not know where or how he or anyone else will die. He doesn't like the idea that death could occur in any place at any time. In the poem, he is always questioning where death is and how it will carry out its task. The narrator even asks "Is he too busy making arrangements...Or is he stepping from a black car parked at the end of the lane...". This implies that death is always on his mind, wondering where it is or if he is the next in a long line of people on death's list. To answer your other question, I think the narrator of "On Turning Ten" feels that there is no enjoyment in life because he is not a child anymore. When you mature, you begin to see the world differently and no longer feel the happiness a child does. Collins shows this using imagery when he says “This is the beginning of sadness...It is time to say goodbye to my imaginary friends, time to turn the first big number.”.The narrator must now face the responsibilities of being an adult and cannot enjoy the luxuries that come with being a kid, such as freedom and lack of responsibility.
DeleteIn response to Comeragh: I was also able to relate to “Piano Lessons” because I have taken piano lessons for many years and understand the metaphor that Collin used throughout the poem. There are 88 keys on the piano and it can be challenging to navigate them, similar to how a blind man would find it challenging to navigate rooms without knocking into furniture. Furthermore, when Collins describes his hand as a, “difficult and neglected child,” I was able to relate to that because I am right handed, and many tasks are much harder to complete with my left hand as opposed to my right.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Edon: I also enjoyed “On Turning Ten” because I was able to relate to his reactions and emotions as he realized he was growing up. As you grow up you become more independent, however, you also gain more responsibilities. With that comes the, “beginning of sadness,” and the time where you need to, “say good-bye to [your] imaginary friends.” I really liked when Collins said, “Now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life, I skin my knees. I bleed.” This showed that as you mature your actions have bigger consequences.
The poems found in Sailing Alone Around the Room provided an interesting perspective on situations and occurrences of daily life. The author used a great deal of metaphors and imagery in order to convey the message of each poem. A poem that stood out to me was The Man in the Moon. Collins uses the moon to symbolize how as we grow older, things that used to scare us become not as intimidating as they once were. Collins also portrayed in this poem how first impressions do not remain our opinions in the future. As we get older we begin to understand things as they are and Collins uses the metaphor of the man in the moon to display this. In the first stanza of the poem, Collins describes the “man in the moon” alike to how a child would describe an adult, “ enormous, stern, [and] aloft.” However, as the poem concludes in the last two stanzas, Collins describes the man in the moon as looking alike to “ a young man who has fallen in love”. The man is also described as “ a pale bachelor, well groomed and full of melancholy.” This shift in tone helps to display the change in perspective on things as we get older.
ReplyDeleteAnother poem which I found compelling was Vade Mecum. The briefness of the poem symbolizes how the speaker would want to be clearly written into another persons memory. The metaphor of the book symbolizes our life story and the memories which we add to it every day. By saying that the speaker wants “the scissors to be sharp” and “the table to be level” when making a memory shows how the speaker wants the memory to be remembered as is, and with no memories left out of the story. The title Vade Mecum is Latin for “go with me”. Thus, the title alludes to how the speaker wants to stay present in the story of the life of another and remain in a memory.
The final poem which I found compelling was titled Insomnia. Collins uses figurative language to convey the feeling of being tired but not being able to fall asleep. In the second stanza, Collins writes, “someone inside me will not get off his tricycle, will not stop tracing the same tight circle on the same green threadbare carpet.” This quote is an example of how Collins conveys the mind racing uncontrollably, the cogs of the speakers internal clock continuously turning, not once taking a break to rest. The final stanza of the poem shows this by describing how, quite possibly, the wheels may rest and the speaker may fall asleep.
“Picnic, Lightning (1998)”: Morning
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do not consider myself as a morning person, I found myself being drawn to this poem. It caught my attention in the sense that I understood what the author was saying and felt the same exact way. A part of me agrees that mornings hold a different type of feeling, they bring the feel of a fresh start, waking up and having a clean canvas to do whatever you may please. There are an endless amount of opportunities that only the morning can bring. Billy Collins uses a sense of imagery to portray his message and make the reader feel what he is saying. The words “throwing off the light covers, feet on the cold floor, and buzzing around the house on espresso” are a great example of the imagery technique he uses. From these words, the reader can imagine the covers being lifted and the cold touch on their feet as they are rising from the bed, as well as smelling the freshly made coffee.
“The Apple that Astonished Paris (1988)”: Advice to Writers
While reading this poem, my mind kept thinking back to the saying or advice that organization is key to success, and I couldn't help but wonder if that is what Billy Collins is trying to get across. With the words “spotlessness is the niece of inspiration. The more you clean, the more brilliant your writing will be” it is easy to see the connection between the two. Billy Collins uses both metaphors and similes multiple times in this poem. For example, when Collins says “...cover pages with tiny sentences like long rows of devoted ants…” we see the comparison between sentences and a line of ants. I enjoyed this poem due to its simplicity and how straightforward it was written.
“The Art of Drowning” (1995): Design
This poem struck out to me because it reminded me that with imagination, anything is possible. I chose to believe that that is what Billy Collins was trying to say when he wrote this. A circle of salt may just be a circle of salt but due to our imagination it can be anything we want it to be, “The circle of life, the wheel of fortune, the Arctic Circle, the ring of Kerry, the white rose of Tralee, the bitter moon, the sun with its glittering spokes, the absolute circle of geometry, etc.” This poem was written with repetition to put more emphasis on the words. Adding the words “I say” after every new transitions makes the audience pay close attention to what is being said as well as creates a type of rhythm in the poem.
Hi Arsh, I also really enjoyed the poem "Morning," I noticed that a common theme with Billy Collins' poetry is that a large portion are fairly simple, and simple isn't necessarily bad. Collins is able to entice all readers no matter they're proficiency in poetry, he is able to do so because you don't need to be a genius to be able to understand their message. Morning is a very fun and comical poem, Collins' repetition of "but mostly buzzing around the house on espresso" is a little homage to the people who need that caffeine boost to actually start their mornings. However its also a very nostalgic type of poem, like you stated he is able to use imagery to create this scene of a quiet, peaceful morning with its heavy clouds surrounded by hundred year old trees. This poem is a great example of how Collins' is able to appeal to different people, on one hand it's simple and relatable, but on the other its filled with beautiful scenery that is able to transport you to a more serene place. You can slo see this duality in the other two poems you mention, Design, and Advice to Writers.
DeleteThe three poems that most appealed to me from Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins were The Rival Poet, My Number, and The Man on the Moon. The poem “The Rival Poet” appealed to me because the author of the poem used literary devices like similes and imagery to allow the reader to visualize what is being said in the poem. The author wrote how “The column of your book titles, always introducing your latest one, looms over me like Roman architecture.” Also, the author uses imagery when he says “In my revenge daydream I am the one poised on the marble staircase, high above the crowded ballroom.” This use of imagery makes the reader understand what the author is talking about easier. The second poem that I chose was “My Number.” This poem was interesting to me because it talked about death as if it was a person that has its own agenda of who to kill and when. The author says “Is Death miles away from this house, reaching for a widow in Cincinnati or breathing down the neck of a lost hiker in British Columbia?” This example of the authors use of the literary device hypophora is used to encourage the reader to visualize death as an actual person. The final poem I chose was The Man on the Moon. This poem appealed to me because it used literary devices to cause the reader to visualize the man on the moon as an actual person, which is similar to the previous poem I chose. The author writes “He used to frighten me in the nights of childhood, the wide adult face, enormous stern, aloft. I could not imagine such loneliness, such coldness.” The use of personification of the moon makes the reader visualize the moon as an actual person with feelings rather than an inanimate object. Furthermore, the author uses a simile when he says “And when he comes into full view over open fields he looks like a young man who has fallen in love with the dark earth…” this also encourages the reader to think of the moon as an actual person.
ReplyDeleteFirst I would like to apologize for my late response. If I have to be honest, I completely forgot about this second part of this assignment. Sincere apologies, Mr.Dawson.
DeleteHey Spencer! I enjoyed reading your post. I liked your selection of poems you chose due to the exquisite diction and imagery they portrayed. However, I have to be some sort of critic to your response, because I was a little confused based on your interpretations.
In the “Rival Poet”, Collins does implement the use of imagery but more so diction than similes. In addition, I don’t think you actually interpreted the poem. In my eyes, Collins believes he is always on a lower level than his competitors are. This is why Collins says the poems his rivals write “loom over him like a roman architecture”. To relieve his stress and raise his ambitions, he believes that he is far superior. He has the beautiful Contessa in the marble ballroom, while his adversaries wear a cheap tux with just a cinderella hanging over them. His imagination is like his escape.
I was quite impressed when you mentioned the literary device Hypophora in “My Number”. I also agree with your interpretation of the poem. Collins emphasizes that you don’t know where or when you will die. It creates a sense of paranoia. He also emphasizes that people can die from other people not just natural causes.
For the “Man in the Moon” I liked how you said Collins visualizes the moon as an actual person, but I think you have to add a little bit more. I think the main point of this poem is that our perspectives of something shifts as we grow older. When Collins was younger he thought the moon was a lonely place, but he realizes that the moon is watching the Earth like a “man that has fallen in love. This poem makes me connect to the theme “don’t judge a book by its cover”.
Blog Responses:
ReplyDeleteIn response to Josette Lapinski: For the poem My Number, I noticed that Collins made many references to relatively modern inventions such as air brakes, roller coasters, and a black car when talking about death. If this poem had been written more recently, I think Collins’ poems may have included even more modern references such as cell phones, computers, etc.
If the author of the poems had been from a country other than the United States, I believe the poem My Heart may have had some very different references. For example, in the third stanza of the poem, Collins says the interior of his heart is of no doubt Celtic influenced. After some research, I discovered that Collin’s father was from a large family in Ireland before immigrating to New York. If Collins was from a different country, he may not have had these Irish roots and not have mentioned Celtic influence when talking about his heart. Also, at the end of the poem he says he is imagining “Budapest, or some other city where I have never been”. If Collins was from another country, perhaps instead of imagining Budapest he would have imagined New York or somewhere else in the United States he hadn’t gotten to see.
In response to Juliana Perez:
For the Plight of the Troubadour, if people who travel from far away cannot understand the troubadour’s poetry, it means that the meaning of many great poems by them may be lost to history. Although many may try to appreciate the French love poems, without being able to understand them, the significance of the poems may be lost on the audience. The city of Provence and its important contribution to poetry may be forgotten and as the author says, it may become nothing more than an unimportant spot on the map or be relegated to an exam question.
For Introduction to Poetry, I believe that people feel that a poem should have a deeper meaning in order to be good because it makes them feel more important. If someone is able to find some type of hidden message in a poem, it makes them look impressive and intelligent, regardless of whether or not the message is even really meant to be there. What Collins is trying to convey in the poem is that sometimes in poetry, an author means exactly what they say, and there is no use in trying to find something deeper in it.
Elena, I also found meaning in the poem “Morning.” I’m an early riser and I enjoy how peaceful the house is when you are the only one awake. In fact, I purposely wake up a little earlier than I have to before work just so I have time to enjoy and take in what the morning has to offer. My mom and I both wake up early on our days off, so the mornings we spend together during the week are something we cherish before our hectic schedule begins. These moments are something I cherish and will miss when I leave for college.
ReplyDeleteAmanda, I also related to “Nostalgia.” It reminded me of the times I spend visiting my elementary and middle schools for my sisters. Every time I return, I’m reminded of the memories I made and the friendships that blossomed. I am reminded how lucky I am to have such a strong bond with these people that our friendships stand the test of time. But also alike to Collins, the realization occurs that we cannot relive these memories, that the time had came and went. However, I interpreted the final stanza differently. I read it as the speaker was dreaming of the future. When I read the poem, I thought that Collins meant that we don’t know what the future holds for us or our culture. We “can only guess” what future generations will deem “popular.”
Introduction to Poetry
ReplyDeleteBilly Collins “Introduction to Poetry” stood out from most of the other poems due to its fantastic use of imagery that helped me to understand what Collins was trying to achieve with the poem. Collins also made the message of the poem very interesting and relevant in today’s world and is hidden beneath all of the imagery that Collins used flawlessly and effectively throughout the poem. What Collins was trying to show in the poem is that many people have forgotten what poetry is all about and now see it as a chore. An example of this is when Collins says “But all they want to do is tie the poem to a chair with rope and torture a confession out of it.”This means that people don’t want to bother with figuring out the meaning of the poem, they would rather the meaning just be told to them. I remember as a kid, I did not understand poetry and became frustrated when I could not figure out the meaning of a poem. As I grew older, however, I came to appreciate poetry and the challenges it poses to its readers.
The History Teacher
Although this poem is not full of figurative language like most of Collins poems are, the message behind “The History Teacher “ is very impactful. The poem is about a teacher who does not teach his students some of the curriculum because he fears that it will take away from the children's innocence. It is revealed, however, that the children have already lost their innocence because they bully other kids and are misbehaved behind the teachers back. This is shown when Collins says “The children would leave his classroom for the playground to torment the weak and the smart, mussing up their hair and breaking their glasses.” Collins did an excellent job showing how adults are too overprotective of their children and how that can lead to problems. Parents try to shield their children from the horrors of the world but this hurts the child's understanding of the world and keeps them from becoming independent and mature. The poem connects with me on a personal level because as a child, I remember my parents not allowing me to watch R rated movies. It only occured to me in recent years that they were trying to protect my innocence.
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The Night House
This poem is about how even when your body is sleeping after a day of work, your mind keeps working. An example of this is when Collins says “And the mind gets up too, puts on a robe and goes downstairs, lights a cigarette, and opens a book on engineering. Even the conscience awakens and roams from room to room in the dark, darting away from every mirror like a strange fish.”.This poem struck me on a personal level because I can relate to what Collins is talking about. My job involves standing up almost the whole day. By the end of my ten hour shift, my legs hurt. Even after a nights rest, I wake up feeling sore sometimes.
Grace, I also really enjoyed the poem Insomnia. The figurative language in this piece spoke to me as well, especially the line you mentioned, “someone inside me will not get off his tricycle, will not stop tracing the same right circle on the same green threadbare carpet”. This line made me relate to Collins and the message he was trying to get across. While reading insomnia the speaker and clock stood out to me and provided and big metaphor throughout the piece. I also believe that your point about Vade Mecum tying back to the books theme of memory was very accurate. I agree with the overall message you identified in Vade Mecum about staying in present versus remaining in a memory.
ReplyDeleteNatalie, I too was intrigued by The Death of the Hat due to the discussion about trends coming and going. The poem made me think about what it was like back when wearing hats were so normal that if you didn’t wear one it would be considered abnormal. Although the shifting of trends did catch my attention, the part that really grabbed me was him talking about his father dying. The way he connected the whole metaphor of hats to his fathers death provided a great transition to show how a trend can die just like a person can. He makes it seem like the hat trend died with his father, making the trend seem like another deceased person. This poem made me think about all the trends that have died over recent years, picturing them all in their own little graveyard with tombstones that say things like “bell bottoms”, “mullets”, along with many other older trends that have died out in popularity. This poem really made me think of death and how different trends are dying all the time and I hardly even notice it happening.