I am increasingly attracted to restricting possibility in the poem by inflicting a form upon yourself. Once you impose some formal pattern on yourself, then the poem is pushing back. I think good poems are often the result of that kind of wrestling with the form. Billy Collins attractbackform share on social
I find that my reading, particularly nonfiction, can inspire a poem as well as anything else. Billy Collins findinspirenonfiction Change image and share on social
The public is probably more suspicious of poets than women, and maybe for good reason. Billy Collins goodpoetpublic Change image and share on social
Poetry can do a lot of things to people. I mean it can improve your imagination. It can take you to new places. It can give you this incredible form of verbal pleasure. Billy Collins formgiveimagination Change image and share on social
We love, you know, children love the ingredients of poetry. And then they go into this tunnel that we call adolescence, and when they come out of it, they hate poetry. Billy Collins adolescencecallchild Change image and share on social
The disappointing second novel is measured against the brilliant first novel - often no novel lives up to the first. Literary improvement seems like an unfair expectation. Billy Collins brilliantdisappointexpectation Change image and share on social
For most Americans, poetry plays no role in their everyday lives. But also for most Americans, contemporary painting or jazz or sculpture play no role either. I'm not saying poetry is singled out as a special thing to ignore. Billy Collins americancontemporaryeveryday share on social
I'm not a claustrophobe, but you don't need to be to feel claustrophobic inside an MRI. It's like being buried alive. Billy Collins aliveburyclaustrophobe Change image and share on social
Often people, when they're confronted with a poem, it's like someone who keep saying 'what is the meaning of this? What is the meaning of this?' And that dulls us to the other pleasures poetry offers. Billy Collins confrontdullmean Change image and share on social
There's something very authentic about humor, when you think about it. Anybody can pretend to be serious. But you can't pretend to be funny. Billy Collins authenticfunnyhumor Change image and share on social
