Billy Collins on YouTube

Former Poet Laureate Billy Collins (2001-2003) has several poems on YouTube; the poet reads his poems and corresponding images appear as he reads. Some of the imagery include animated drawings, others real people and things captured by a video camera.

“Forgetfulness”

Collins’ poem “Forgetfulness” is one of his readings/videos. The video begins by showcasing a bookshelf with many books, and the poem begins, “The name of the author is the first to go / followed obediently by the title, the plot, / the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel / which suddenly becomes one you have never read, / never even heard of.”

Then the poem begins to catalogue a number of other things the speaker has forgotten: the names of the nine Muses, what a quadratic equation is, state flowers, the address of an uncle, and the capital of Paraguay. Each forgotten item has a corresponding image.

Other Poems

Other poems receive this treatment as well. Collins reads while you enjoy the visual and his lilting voice: “The Dead,” “The Best Cigarette,” “Now and Then,” “Walking Across the Atlantic,” “Some Days,” and others.

Enjoy.

Summer Poem Poll

Please take a moment to vote for your favorite summer poem in this month’s poll. Your choices are:

• 1. Emily Dickinson’s “I know a place where Summer strives”
• 2. John Greenleaf Whittier’s “The Barefoot Boy”
• 3. James Whitcomb Riley’s “The Old Swimmin’ Hole”
• 4. Robert Frost’s “The Oven Bird”
• 5. Amy Lowell’s “Penumbra”

The poll is located under the blog on the homepage of the Poetry site. Thank you for participating in this month’s poll.