Some tend to dismiss Billy Collins due to his so-called accessibility, while others embrace him wholeheartedly. I find myself in the middle because while I enjoy reading Collins' poems, sometimes his work can be like sipping on 'poetry light' - it tastes like verse but without all the calories. That being said, the folks that dismiss Collins for the way his poetry is inviting to readers, also miss out on his vicious satires, which can be very biting. Collins isn't always the friendly-bard they make him out to be.
From the San Fransisco Chronicle:
Collins doesn't much care for the word "accessible" either, because it suggests "ramps for poetically handicapped people." He likes the word "hospitable." But he concedes that "accessible" has won the day, and he's happy with the side he finds himself on. "Some poems talk to us; others want us to witness an act of literary experimentation."
More here.
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