Billy Collins Tiffiny Wallace

Background Born in New York in 1941 Parents (William and Katherine) were in their early forties and both worked. Never enjoyed his english classes as he grew up, he started to really enjoy literature when his dad brought home a poetry magazine home every month. Went to the College of Holy Cross in Massachusetts, and then to the University of California at Riverside to get his PhD in English.( Lawrence Ferling..) His first two collections were Pokerface(1977) and Video Poems(1980) which were not super successful Shortly after he got married to his wife, Diane, and moved to New York here he got a teaching job at Lehman College. The Apple That Astonished Paris, Questions About Angels, and Sailing Around the Room 2001, appointed United States Poet Laureate. He increased awareness of poetry in in youth with Poetry 180.

Poems Forgetfulness Introduction To Poetry House Another Reason Why I Don’t Keep a Gun at my House Oh Turn Ten Flames Today Invention Walking Across the Atlantic Silence The Only Day in Existence Some Days Neither Snow Dharma Consolation Pinup The Trouble with Poetry Litany Candle Hat Taking Off Emily Dickinson’s Clothes

Thesis Billy Collins has a certain style in his poetry that was developed from his childhood, influences on him from other successful poets, and from his unique personality.

Forgetfulness The name of the author is the first to go followed obediently by the title, the plot, the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel which suddenly becomes one you have never read, never even heard of, as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain, to a little fishing village where there are no phones. Long ago you kissed the names of the nine muses goodbye 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. Whatever it is you are struggling to remember, it is not poised on the tip of your tongue or even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen. It has floated away down a dark mythological river whose name begins with an L as far as you can recall well on your own way to oblivion where you will join those who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a bicycle. No wonder you rise in the middle of the night to look up the date of a famous battle in a book on war. No wonder the moon in the window seems to have drifted out of a love poem that you used to know by heart. Title: I think that this poem is going to be about how humans will forget. It is inevitable for humans to be imperfect. Paraphrase: the more that you learn, the more that you forget at the same time. It is impossible to remember every single thing that you have ever learned. Speaker: I think that the speaker of this poem is again Billy Collins because it sound like this guy has a lot of experience and knows what he is talking about. Figurative Language: much figurative language was used like metaphors and similes especially. They really paint a picture of why we forget things important. Attitude: the attitude is almost happy, which is a little ironic because the title is forgetfulness which is generally not a positive thing. Shift: after reading through the poem, I could not detect any major shifts in attitudes. Title: I think that my original prediction was pretty close to spot on. This is, the things that humans forget because we are not perfect. Theme: the theme itself I think is forgetfulness. As Miley Cyrus puts it, nobody is perfect.

The Only Day in Existence The early sun is so pale and shadowy, I could be looking up at a ghost in the shape of a window, a tall, rectangular spirit looking down at me in bed, about to demand that I avenge the murder of my father. But the morning light is only the first line in the play of this day-- the only day in existence-- the opening chord of its long song, or think of what is permeating the thin bedroom curtains as the beginning of a lecture I will listen to until it is dark, a curious student in a V-neck sweater, angled into the wooden chair of his life, ready with notebook and a chewed-up pencil, quiet as a goldfish in winter, serious as a compass at sea, eager to absorb whatever lesson this damp, overcast Tuesday has to teach me, here in the spacious classroom of the world with its long walls of glass, its heavy, low-hung ceiling.

Analysis Title: something one of a kind is going to happen, “the only day in existence” that is happened ever. Paraphrase: someone is lying in bed in the morning, thinking about all that he will need to do that day. He is not super excited to go tackle it. Speaker: a student I either high school or college maybe?! Figurative Language: Billy Collins uses Figurative language to describe how boring this students day is going to be. Attitude: it is sad kind of, but at the same time it is kind of just blah. Maybe there isn’t an attitude? I am not sure. Shifts: no shifts hat I could find, maybe it is because of how short the poem is. Title: it is the only kind of day this character has ever had. Therefore it is the only day in existence of their lives. Theme: students need to be able to live their lives while they are young and still can. Teenagers should be a little rebellious.

Today If ever there were a spring day so perfect, so uplifted by a warm intermittent breeze that it made you want to throw open all the windows in the house and unlatch the door to the canary's cage, indeed, rip the little door from its jamb, a day when the cool brick paths and the garden bursting with peonies seemed so etched in sunlight that you felt like taking a hammer to the glass paperweight on the living room end table, releasing the inhabitants from their snow-covered cottage so they could walk out, holding hands and squinting into this larger dome of blue and white, well, today is just that kind of day.

Analysis Title: Maybe this poem will talk about a normal persons everyday life and struggles that they know they will face that day. Paraphrase: it is a perfect spring day, and they, the character, just want to be able to show and share it to everyone. Speaker: I think that this is the author speaking from experience. They have been through a beautiful day like this before. Figurative Language: thoroughly describes how amazing warm spring days are using metaphors and similes. Attitude: The character in the poem is super stoked because of how awesome the warm day is. Happiness and excitement all around. Shifts: because this poem is pretty short, I do not see any true shifts in the attitude of this poem. Title: after reading through this poem, I have decided that this title is like a fresh start and a happier day than the last, so make use of it. Theme: Nature is so beautiful in the spring and it makes people more happy and generous.

Shadow (Flames) Henry the Hedgehog emerges out of his dust bed with soda in one hand, and potato chips in the other. His spines are all matted at an interesting angle. His brown eyes dilate quickly as the sun penetrates his enlarged pupils, causing minimal pain. The crowd eagerly awaits his decision. depending their future on a small rodent. He says yes, but mostly because he wants to nap for a few weeks longer.

Citation “Billy Collins.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. Vol. 28. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Biography in Context. Web. 10 Mar. 2015. “Billy Collins.” Authors and Artists for Young Adults. Vol. 64. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Biography in context. Web. 12 Mar 2015.