The Trouble with Poetry and Other Poems [Paperback]

Billy Collins (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 88 pages
• Publisher: Random House; 1ST edition (2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0739466283
• ISBN-13: 978-0739466285
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,007,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Billy Collins Does it Again, March 8, 2007

By 

Cynthia R. Wyatt (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Trouble with Poetry: And Other Poems (Hardcover)

"The Trouble With Poetry," the title poem of Collins' most recent book, is not, as Auden and Frost complained, that it doesn't make a difference, but that it is so dynamic, so important, so chock-full of truth that we wish we had written it ourselves. This strong collection of new poems will leave you with just that sentiment, the "I wish I'd said that" moment when you spot something on the page that is so apt, that so perfectly captures a small (or not-so-small) truth about life, humanity, the human condition, dogs, or love that you covet it. Collins comes across as a friend to the reader, a congenial companion, never lecturing, always sharing, knowing that the shared "moments" are welcome. No wonder Collins has broken tradition and actually sold books, lots of books, during his career which includes being appointed Poet Laureate of the United States. He was our Poet on September 11, 2001, and when asked what poetry could help people ease their anguish, he said we could open any book of poetry and find comfort, because poetry by definition embraces and celebrates life, warts and all. Well, his does. Bravo.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty, Sweet, and Dry, December 10, 2006

By 

Darcy M. Boynton - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Trouble with Poetry: And Other Poems (Hardcover)

Billy Collins has outdone himself. The Trouble with Poetry (brilliantly titled, yes?) will make you laugh, cry, and think. I just read a review criticizing Collins for his lack of complexity. Billy's LANGUAGE is simple, yes, but his poetry is not. It is straighforward, concise, and yet it packs a punch. Upon reading the nine-line poem "Carry", I found my eyes welling up, such was the pure emotion captured in those three stanzas. It is hard to read Collins when one is alone- the desire to get up out of your armchair and share your newfound treasures with the world is overhwelming.

56 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A more solemn Collins, October 26, 2005

By 

Linda Williamson "wordoday" (Calistoga, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Trouble with Poetry: And Other Poems (Hardcover)

Collins has a strong connection to Emily Dickinson, and in one of her poems she says, "I am older now, Master." Collins seems to be saying that "I am older now, Reader." The poems in this volume are still as elegant, but more solemn. Many of them are about taking the time to study the interior of his house, as thought this simple pleasure might not last forever. A stillness pervades some of the poems, almost a deathly stillness. This is a memorable volume, and definitely worth the wait.