Last Sunday, people of all ages filled much of the 1,000-seat E.R. Bo Campbell Auditorium in the Cox Communication Center to hear former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins speak.
A nationally revered poet, Collins has been praised by literary heavyweights such as John Updike, who referred to Collins’ poems as “Limpid, gently and consistently startling, more serious than they seem, they describe all the worlds that are and were and some others besides.”
The Poet Laureate is appointed annually by the Library of Congress and serves for one year. He or she receives a $35,000 stipend and gives an annual lecture and reading of his or her poetry in the Washington D.C. area. Collins was appointed in 2001.
Former Poet Laureates have often used their position to initiate poetry programs in schools, supermarkets and hotel rooms.
“One of the pleasures of writing is not knowing where you are going [at first],” Collins said to an audience of mostly students and faculty. “I am driven to find out the destination and will work on a poem until I find it.”
Collins spoke for one hour and answered questions from audience members regarding his writing style and his term as U.S. Poet Laureate, which ended last year.
“I am very reader-conscious when writing poetry. The reader has become an extension of my childhood imaginary companion,” he said of his poem “You, Reader.”
Collins also said that during his term as Poet Laureate he started the “Poetry 180” program to bring poetry to high schools, and the audio Poetry Channel on Delta Airlines.
During the presentation, he read several poems aloud with a quasi-monotone voice that only accentuated the humor and dry wit for which he is renowned.
Poems such as “Order of the Day,” about making God laugh and “More Than a Woman,” about getting a song stuck in your head showcased Collins’ range of subject matter about everyday life.
Collins said some of his other selections were intended for the “English major types” and analytical people. These poems included “Sonnet” which refers to the Petrarch, the famous Italian sonnet writer of the Renaissance and his legendary love, Laura.
Collins is the author of six books of poetry, including “Picnic,” “Lightning” and “Questions About Angels,” which was selected by Edward Hirsch for the National Poetry Series. His work has also been included in the Norton Anthology of Poetry, which is used in many classes at the University.
Cameron Walker, a pre-veterinary science sophomore, enjoyed the reading for “analytical reasons.”
“It is much harder to write cleverly in poetry than people think, and Collins makes it seem easy in his poetry.” Walker said.
Kyle Clayton, an English freshman, enjoyed Collins’ poetry for its broad appeal.
“He’s not abstract and impossible to understand, which makes him more accessible to a general audience,” he said.
The event was sponsored by the College of Art and Design’s Paula G. Manship Lecture Series, Readers and Writers and Chancellor Mark Emmert.