I know my voice has a limited range of motion; I don't write dramatic monologues and pretend to be other people. But so far, my voice is broad enough to accommodate most of what I want to put into my poetry. I like my persona; I often wish I were him and not me. Billy Collins accommodatebroaddramatic share on social
The pen is an instrument of discovery rather than just a recording implement. If you write a letter of resignation or something with an agenda, you're simply using a pen to record what you have thought out. Billy Collins agendumdiscoveryimplement share on social
There are interesting forms of difficulty, and there are unprofitable forms of difficulty. I mean, I enjoy some difficult poetry, but some of it is impenetrable and I actually wouldn't want to penetrate it if I could, perhaps. Billy Collins difficultdifficultyenjoy share on social
I don't think I've ever written a poem whose intention was just to be funny. I've written poems that start out funny and often shift into something more serious. Billy Collins funnyhaveintention Change image and share on social
The obituaries shot up to the top of my list when I discovered Robert McG. Thomas, the 'Times' obit writer who redesigned its traditional form and added a measure of stylistic elegance. Billy Collins adddiscoverelegance Change image and share on social
I'll listen to anything authentic whether it's bluegrass or gospel or blues. Billy Collins authenticbluebluegrass Change image and share on social
When I write, I'm not trying to be funny. It's the way I look at the world. Billy Collins funnyworldwrite Change image and share on social
The poets who have written the best poems about war seem to be the poets whose countries have experienced an invasion or vicious dictatorships. Billy Collins countrydictatorshipexperience Change image and share on social
People think of poetry as a school subject... Poetry is very frustrating to students because they don't have a taste for ambiguity, for one thing. That gives them a poetry hangover. Billy Collins ambiguityfrustratehangover Change image and share on social
I learned snails don't have ears. They live in silence. They go slowly. Slowly, slowly in silence. Billy Collins earlearnlive Change image and share on social
