Poem Analysis: Introduction To Poetry By Billy Collins
In the poem “Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins, the speaker discusses the difficulty of analyzing and understanding poetry. My claim is that the poem suggests that readers should not approach poetry with a predetermined mindset or try to dissect it, but rather let themselves be open to the experience of the poem.
The speaker begins the poem by stating, “I ask them to take a poem / and hold it up to the light / like a color slide” (1-3). This metaphor suggests that the speaker wants the reader to examine the poem closely and try to understand its true meaning. However, the speaker quickly becomes frustrated with the reader’s approach, saying, “But all they want to do / is tie the poem to a chair with rope / and torture a confession out of it” (5-7). The violent language in this metaphor
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This image suggests that readers should not try to force meaning out of the poem, but rather let it speak for itself.
One of the reasons for this approach is that poetry is meant to evoke an emotional response, rather than just be understood intellectually. The speaker says, “But all they want to do / is discuss its meaning. / I want them to waterski / across the surface of a poem / waving at the author’s name on the shore” (13-17). The image of waterskiing suggests a sense of joy and playfulness, rather than the seriousness with which many readers approach poetry.
Another reason for the speaker’s approach is that poetry is full of ambiguity and multiple interpretations. The speaker says, “I want them to / see the poem / as a place where they have never been” (20-22). This image suggests that the poem is a journey, a place where readers can explore new ideas and emotions. If readers approach the poem with a predetermined mindset or try to “tie it to a chair,” they limit the possibilities of the
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