Billy Collins: analysis of his poems Essay

Arguably the some popular poet in America, Billy collins provides he bers with two types of rime that is cryptograph ilk typical poetry. One of his unique styles is writing as if the poetry could be con like a novel. The a nonher(prenominal) type brings gratify and whimsy to his break d take, yet he hints at a seriousness that lies d confessstairs the surface. Both styles of poetry are easy to read, merely take a insurgent look to realize what the collins is intending the proof commentator to hear. Billy collins is an exceptionally talented poet whose writing at beginning can be taken to be a simple comedy but when read some(prenominal) carefully, it can be interpreted as a out-of-the-way(prenominal) more Byzantine script. First exercises of the rimes I cut up close to parsley While earr distributively To Art Blakeys strain Of troika stratagem Mice, Victorias Secret, and Shoveling Snow with Buddha might convince the reader that collins is offering poems that are clever yet easy to read and understand. A quick information of Collins poems shows a similarity of his witty style, although the subject matter of apiece is different.First glance readings of these poems might lead readers to the following interpretations.A man squander his clip flipping through the pages of a Victorias Secret magazine. A man shoveling degree centigrade from a cause with Buddha. Lastly, a man daydreaming ab bulge out(predicate) the childrens frost Three dodge Mice. However, if these poems are read more carefully they exhibit a hidden richness in their moments. In the first reading of the poem Victorias Secret, the bank clerk is flipping through the pages of a lingerie magazine. He describes the outfits of the eighter models in owing(p) detail. For example, wearing a deeply s inflictoped / flame-stitched balancer top / with padded push-up styling / and easy side-zip tap pants. Also, the fabricator evaluates the mood of distributively model by the expression on her face. For instance, looks at me over her advertise shoulder, / can non hide the shadow of annoyance in her brow. None of the models in the photographs depend to like narrator looking at them. Yet, even out still the narrator continues to look at the succeeding(prenominal) model until he realizes that he has s minthful too much(prenominal) time already. He still has so much to do and it sounds as if there is a commotion going on in his house.The dog is barking, the phone is ringing, and the rain is beating on the roof. In a second and deeper reading of Victorias Secret Collins describes each of the models in an absurd pose. This is from the hard work the modeling agencies typeset the girls through. Collins is fashioning a mockery of the girls and in greater sense, the modeling agencies. For example, her mouth is the make of petulance. a rugged mixture of pain and surprise / as if she had stepped on a patch arching one eyebrow slightly and topper of all stretched out catlike Since, Collins is a college professor in juvenile York City, all of these big modeling agencies advertisements are all over the streets, that is wherefore he is making such a mockery of them. All of these models are in awkward poses that they obviously are not comfortable in but, still agree to do them just to be in the photo. other melodic theme Collins is nerve-racking to get across to the reader is the inwardness of time the narrator had spent looking at returns. The narrator represents each average e trulyday guy who since childhood has spent a lot of time looking at pictures.This child had grown up to be a man and still imprinted in his memory, a good time is looking at pictures of course, now of societies definition of beautiful women. The last thought Collins throws into this poem is the idea that life is too short to waste. invigoration is rushing by like a mad, swollen river. He puts the soma of roses blossoming in the garden and the n ext minute it is snowing. In the first reading of Shoveling Snow with Buddha the narrator is shoveling a driveway with Buddha. This is something that is very strange Buddhas usual environment and unlike his usual action. Once the narrator gets ultimo that point, it becomes a story of two guys shoveling a driveway. They work and work We throw away the light power into the clean air. hence the narrator realizes that what they are doing is more than just shoveling snow they are practicing a organized religion. This is so much go than a sermon in church, Thought the poem Buddha is mostly slow until the snow is piled high all around them, he then asks if they could go inside and play tease after they finish.This strikes the narrator excitement and he tells Buddha that not only will they play cards but, will as substantially as drink some hot chocolate. Buddha is satisfied with the narrators reply and returns to his work.In a second and deeper reading of Shoveling Snow with Buddh a Collins portrays Buddha as a well prize person. The first point Collins is trying to get reader to understand is that noticeed men are humble. Respected men do work without complaining and they do not stop until the goal is reached. smile so wide it wraps itself around the waist of the universe, Buddha keeps on shoveling. suggest of existence, but he is too busy to hear me. All morning long we work. This is wherefore Buddha is shoveling snow, from a driveway that is not even his. The setting of thispoem withal relates to Collins childhood, where he grew up in New York and after the snow, shoveling the driveway is not an easy task for one man to do. When the narrator says This is the original religion, the religion of snow, / and sunlight and winter geese barking in the sky, / I say, This is where Collins inputs religion into the poem.The goal of Buddhism is enlightenment in the poem the narrator truly receives tyro by shoveling snow. That is why he appreciates things such as the sunlight and the geese barking in the sky. The final point Collins puts in this poem is when Buddha asks can we go inside and play cards? Since Buddha is interpreted as a traffic pattern human in this poem, every human needs a microbe of motivation no matter how much he wants to help. Playing cards is Buddhas source of motivation in this poem.In the first reading of I hack on Some parsley While audition to Art Blakeys rendition of Three Blind Mice the narrator is chopping vegetables while listening to some melody. When the vocal Three Blind Mice comes on he goes into a daydream about how the mice went art, how they could have found each other, and why they would run after a farmers wife. The narrator then slips into thoughts of the mice without eye and tails venturing through moist shit and on the floor on the baseboards.The narrator then becomes saddened by his thoughts and blames his taut look on the dicing of an onion.In a second and deeper reading of I Chop So me Parsley While Listening to Art Blakeys Version of Three Blind Mice Collins uses the narrator as a culpable cynic. is the cynics answer. cynic who eer lounges within me. A cynic is one who believes in selfishness as the motivation of human actions and disbelieves in selflessness. Collins compares the cynic of the childrens poesy to the cynic inside the narrator. Although, the narrator in this poem does feel self-condemnation for the mice this is the point Collins is trying to get the reader to understand. There is always a way for a person to go from cynical to respectful. Yet, in this poem the narrator tries to elude the reader by making grapheme to the fumes from the onion for causing his wet look. It is only ironic that the next song that comes to play is Freddie Hubbards mournful trumpet on Blue Moon. The music in this poem demonstrates Collins love for jazz, even though it is a mournful trumpet playing he uses his own hobbies to illustrate a feeling for the reader.Col lins is known for using detailed writing to intrepid the element of imaginativeness in his poetry. In Victorias Secret Collins goes into greatdetail to what the models are wearing. wearing a deeply scalloped / flame-stitched muffle top / with padded push-up styling / and easy side-zip tap pants. whisperweight camisole with / keyhole clo original and a point desprit mesh back. wearing nothing / but this stretch panne velvety bodysuit / with a low sweetheart neckline / featuring molded cups and adjustable straps. All of these images are easily put into the readers mind and allow the reader to actually observe the models outfits without viewing the picture in the poem. Collins even displays the images of the models expression in the poem. a confused mixture of pain and surprise / as if she had stepped on a tack, she is putting about something, / all lower lip and cheekbone. Lastly, when Collins describes how quickly life can pass by he uses phrases like One minute roses are opening in the garden.And describes the night as black and silky. Imagery in Shoveling Snow with Buddha is evident as well. over the mountain / of his bare, round shoulder. cold mist on our faces. glittering ovalbumin snow. winter geese barking in the sky, and drive off with a broken slug fan and a song on the radio. All of these phrases make the reader feel as if they are in the middle of winter along with Buddha and the narrator. The reader feels the cold mist, hears the geese barking and the song on the radio and, sees the half natural Buddha tossing the glittering white snow over his shoulder. Collins also adds a sense of home with our boots stand dripping by the door. That phrase familiarizes readers with their own memories of coming back to a warm cozy home from the bumpy cold of the winter.The imagery in I Chop Some Parsley While Listening to Art Blakeys Version of Three Blind Mice is not as apparent as the other poems but, is still post able. When Collins refers to the picayun e darkness, of the blind mice the reader can sense the tiny dark tunnel the mice live in. Also the reader feels the narrators wet burn eyes, along with the sound of the mournful trumpet. The reader can as well smell the chopping of the vegetables, such as the parsley and most of all the fumes from the diced onion.In the poems I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakeys Version Of Three Blind Mice, Victorias Secret, and Shoveling Snow with Buddha theimagery element is astonishing. A reader of these poems not only sees the images in their head, but can also smell, hear, and feel what the characters in the poem can. Collins is so talented that he creates a duplicate world for the reader with his poetical language. He uses this imagery to involve the reader in his poem. Collins likes to call this kind of poetry cash in ones chips poetry a mental travel from the beginning of the poem to the ending. To be interested in the entire poem, not just one line that sounds good.Billy Co llins says in an discourse with John Bush When you convey the purport, youre really conveying the spirit of the poem. check into Conway describes Collins footmark The pokerfaced tone of Collins poems never lets readers be sure if the tone in his poetry is respectful or mocking. (287). On the other hand, many would argue with Conway. Just like most of Collins other poems, a deeper reading can help find the true marrow of the poem. With that meaning the tone is simple to see. In Victorias Secret Collins puts each model in an awkward pose. her mouth is the shape of petulance. a confused mixture of pain and surprise / as if she had stepped on a tack arching one eyebrow slightly and best of all stretched out catlike All of these models look ridiculous.The tone in this poem is mockery Collins portrays this by using imagery as well. He paints a picture of the model in the readers head in an absurd poise with a somewhat constipated look on their face. Also, Collins makes the reader fee l as if all the models are stuck up and dont want to be looked at. Do you have a problem withthat? Why do I care, her eyes say, were all going to hell anyway. He shows that the models are stuck up by actually attacking one model by using these phrases in his stanza, she is pouting about something, by chance her ice cream has tumbled / out of its cone Perhaps she has been waiting all day / for a new sofa to be delivered, The tone of this poem is very amusive and by the end of it the reader sees the models as immature juveniles.In the poem Shoveling Snow with Buddha the tone is much more respectful. Collins shows his respect for men like Buddha through his literal language. Even the season is wrong for him. This is not implied by his serene expression, Buddha is symbolized as a selfless man who is shoveling a driveway that not even his. Buddha will not stop the job until the goal isreached, Collins is very admiral of this type of behavior. He has thrown himself into shoveling snow / as if it were the purpose of his existence, and he inside his generous pocket of silence, It is evident in the poem that Collins respects Buddha but, with the use of his language he makes the reader respect Buddha. Since Buddha is personified by all the natural good wad in the world, the reader appreciates these kind of people much more by the end of the poem.In the poem I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakeys Version Of Three Blind Mice, the tone is not evident until Collins uses the term cynic. After this word the poem goes from a comical tone to a mournful tone. but the thought of them without eyes / and now without tails to trail through the moist grass, has the cynic who always lounges within me / up off his couch and at the window / trying to hide the rising softness that he feels. From the daydream that Collins put the narrator in, the narrator becomes very sad and mournful for these three blind mice whose tails have been cut off. wet stinging / in my own eyes, is what the narrator has by the end of the poem. Collins use of language in this poem makes the reader feel the same way as the narrator by the end of the poem.In an interview with Dave Weich, Collins describes his initial tone Usually I try to create a hospitable tone at the beginning of a poem. This makes the poem easy to get into and understand. Then Collins adds a twist and puts in a more complex tone that usually makes the reader feel the same way the narrator in the story feels. The tone in Victorias Secret is very comical and by the end of it the reader sees the models as immature juveniles. The tone in Shoveling Snow with Buddha is respectful and makes the reader respect all selfless people like Buddha. And lastly the tone in I Chop Some Parsley While Listening To Art Blakeys Version Of Three Blind Mice, is sad and mournful and makes readers have wet stinging eyes just as the narrator at the end of the poem. Collins is very talented at bringing the feeling of his poetry into the readers selves.Billy Collins is an exceptionally talented poet whose writing at first can be taken to be a simple comedy but when read more carefully, it can beinterpreted as a far more complex script. His use of imagery and tone give the readers an synergistic movie in their heads when they read his literature. As a college professor, Collins is very talented at making all readers of his poetry understand the meaning and feeling in his poems. Philip Jason describes Collins poetry as suggests why he so very much uses humor to lead the reader into a place, often a serious and surprising place, of the poems conclusion. However, Collins poetry cannot be glide if the reader wants the true meaning and feeling to be apparent to them. A second and deeper reading is needed to truly feel the poem. Collins poetry is humble and vibrant with language, imagery and, tone and serves as a try for all American poets.Works CitedBush, John. A Conversation with Billy Collins. http//www.windriv erpress.com/ recap/collins_b.html. Critique Magazine.Collins, Billy. Picnic, Lightning. Pittsburgh University of Pittsburgh Press, 1998.Conway, Mark. Billy Collins. The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature. Vol. 1. 2006.Jason, Philip. Critical Survey of Poetry. Vol. 2. calcium Salem Press,Inc., 2003. 8 vols.Lee, Michelle. Poetry Criticism. Vol. 68. New York Thomas Gale, 2006. 83 vols.Saunder, Alletha. query with Billy Collins. Summer 2006. http//www.uidaho.edu/fugue/billy_collins.htm. Fugue, University of Idaho.Varnes, Kathrine. An exaltation of forms contemporary. Michigan University ofMichigan Press, 2002.Weich, Dave. Billy Collins, bring Poetry to the Public. January 14, 2004. http//www.powells.com/authors/collins.html. Powells.com.