Sailing Alone Around the Room : New and Selected Poems

Rating:
Summary: Lovely
Review: I typically find it difficult to appreciate poetry, but Billy Collins' work is an exception. "Sailing Alone Around the Room" is a collection of his previous poetry and was recommended to me by an English instructor. His language and ideas are accessible and deceptively simple, as you go back and read his poems for a second time and find that something profound has been conveyed. One of my favorites is his "On Turning Ten," as a young boy leaves behind his youth and laments that he "used to believe/ there was nothing under my skin but light./ If you cut me I could shine./ But now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life,/I skin my knees. I bleed." It's beautiful imagery and a beautiful metaphor. Lovely work!

Rating:
Summary: For those who don't usually read poetry
Review: What Billy Collins has done for poetry is a very positive thing. By making it accessible and easy to understand, and at the same time connecting with people with his feelings and well-crafted, distinctive poetic voice, he has made poetry entertaining and popular again as it was a long time ago. This collection has most of his best work.

David Rehak
author of "Poems From My Bleeding Heart"

Rating:
Summary: Agreement with the reviewer from Santa Barbara
Review: I can't say it better than the reviewer from Santa Barbara. Billy Collins is worth reading and re-reading and enjoying like hard candy rolling in your mouth.

Rating:
Summary: The un-poetry
Review: I first throught I wouldn't like Billy Collins. There's a kind of superiority to his tone at times, and his subject matter seems to be about subjects always covered in poetry, but I have to admit that reading parts of this book has really convinced me. Amazing. Seems like he's not taking himself wholly seriously, which is rare to see in poets.