Analysis Of Billy Collins Introduction To Poetry

Poetry is a type of writing that is to show a creative side of writing using metaphorical parts and artistic language to explain ones’ self or topic and a way for the reader to read an interesting style of writing without being told directly what the message is. “Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins does just that with his imaginative ways of writing. Not only does Collins explain that writing and reading poetry should be more than a wonderful thing, but also not to set constraints within the poem that can potentially cause harm to the reader or even the poem itself. Therefore, meaning to be more open minded and patient with poems to get the true meaning. Collins starts his poem out by saying “I ask them to take a poem and hold it up to the light like a color slide”

You as a viewer need to focus on the image and not just the slide you can see through. Which is the same for a poem when reading a poem, it is you as the reader’s job to focus on what the author is saying. In other words, do not just focus on the words you need to focus on the message to get a clear understanding yet make sure not to over think the poem. The idea of poems is to go beyond just reading them it is to get inside of the poem. If this was not the case, we would think the writer would just be just straight forward in what they are saying rather than using metaphorical language. Furthermore, Collins says “I drop a mouse into a poem and watch him probe his way out” one might think of this being maybe a dark or confusing, place therefore causing the reader to probe at the text to understand the message or maybe look for clues. Then the author says “I want them to waterski across the surface of a poem waving at the author’s name on the shore” in other words wants the reader to dive into the text. His words