two poets

A month or two ago, I read Donald Miller's review of Collected Poems by Stanley Kunitz (at Donald Miller's blog) and consequently checked out the book from the library. I read the first few poems and a few more chosen randomly. I read the last few poems. I tried random pages again. And then I gave up. I found the poems inaccessible, and I decided that not only would I never ever be able to write poetry myself, I was unlikely to even understand it.

Last month, Donald Miller recommended Billy Collins' book Sailing Alone Around the Room. My husband read the samples of Collins' work on Donald Miller's site, and enjoyed them so much that he ordered the book. We have both found the book delightful, and we will seek out more of Billy Collins' work.

Billy Collins writes poetry on a wide selection of subjects, from the amusing to the thought-provoking to the truly unusual. Each poem is immediately enjoyable, but can be lingered over and savored as well.

Here's an example: Billy Collins' poem Introduction to Poetry

(Note: A few mature themes -- a parent might want to do a little pre-reading before just handing this to a teenager.)