The Trouble with Poetry And Other Poems

With a distinct voice, a spare elegance, and accessible language, America's two-term Poet Laureate has opened the door to poetry for those to whom it might otherwise have remained closed. Through simple turns of phrase, Billy Collins shows that good poetry doesn't have to be obscure or incomprehensible-which is perhaps the real trouble with most "serious" poetry. This dazzling collection explores boyhood, jazz, love, the passage of time, and, of course, writing. Gorgeous, funny, and empathetic, Billy Collins's poetry is a window through which we see our lives as if for the first time. Book jacket.

Billy Collins is the author of seven collections of poetry, including Nine Horses, Sailing Alone Around the Room, Questions About Angels, The Art of Drowning, and Picnic, Lightning. He is also the editor of Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry and 180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Every Day. A distinguished professor of English at Lehman College of the City University of New York, he was Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001 to 2003. He currently serves as the Poet Laureate of New York State.


From the Hardcover edition.