Kathleen+&+Ashley

=Billy Collins=

__Biography__

Billy Collins was born in New York City, New York on March 22, 1941. He was an only child, and his family finances were not that great. Then, his father got a job at Wall Street, and his family moved to Westchester, where he was raised. His father working at Wall Street inspired him to write poetry, because his father would always bring home copies of poetry magazine. Poetry magazine is where he got his spark to write poetry, and wrote his first poem at 12 years old. He studied hard as a child and surprising; he didn’t get his spark to write poetry from school. Billy Collins went to College of the Holly Cross in Massachusetts and graduated in 1963. He moved to the University of California at Riverside, where he worked to get his Ph.D. in English. He studied 19th century poetry of the romantic era. He was a professor at Lehman College, which is part of the University of New York. He later married Diane Collins. His first book published was __Pokerface__ in 1977, later followed by __Video Poems__ in 1980. His book __The Apple that Astonished Paris__ was published by the University of Arkansas Press in 1988. He is currently the vice president of the Poetry society of America. Collins has won the awards of: The New York Foundation for the arts poetry fellow in 1986, The National Endowment for the arts creative writing fellow in 1988, The Bess Hokin prize poetry in 1991, and the Oscar Blumenthal prize poetry in 1993. Billy Collins is still alive today, and in 70 years old.

__Influence/ Style__

Billy Collins became a poet because he had some memories as a child of him listening to poetry read by his mother. “I always loved the way that two words could be put together and make sparks.” Said Billy Collins in a 60 Minutes interview one morning. He also mentioned that all of his heroes as a kid were all writers, and not sports players. The reason that he went toward becoming a poet is he wanted his readers to feel like he did when his mother read to him. He has no regular theme in writing his poetry, but he enjoys writing his poems about his “inner life experiences” Billy’s style is very different than other poetry. His poetry is understandable and simple, also he likes to keep his readers wondering after his poems. This style follows the poetry rules. Poetry is supposed to keep their readers questioning and wondering. Lots of poets admire Billy Collins for his work, since “he is so true to real poetry.” Overall, Collins is a very well admired and respected poet.

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Introduction to Poetry
I ask them to take a poem and hold it up to the light like a color slide or press an ear against its hive. I say drop a mouse into a poem and watch him probe his way out, or walk inside the poem’s room and feel the walls for a light switch. I want them to waterski across the surface of a poem waving at the author’s name on the shore. But all they want to do is tie the poem to a chair with rope and torture a confession out of it. They begin beating it with a hose to find out what it really means.

Man in Space
All you have to do is listen to the way a man sometimes talks to his wife at a table of people and notice how intent he is on making his point even though her lower lip is beginning to quiver, and you will know why the women in science fiction movies who inhabit a planet of their own are not pictured making a salad or reading a magazine when the men from earth arrive in their rocket, why they are always standing in a semicircle with their arms folded, their bare legs set apart, their breasts protected by hard metal disks.

__By: Kathleen Garvey__
They are respected, you know With their wide trunk and branches so low

As they are there, sitting, planted in the ground They have no need to wonder or to run around

Them being so big It can seem queer Tho they have some forest friends near

These wonderful creatures That I speak of Are so kind and wonderful And are willing to love

Now you wonder, what are these things? Well, you will just have to wonder.

__THOUGHTS OF LIFE__ __By: Ashley Greenidge__

The world is changing everyday, that means the people too. You have to learn to say goodbye, and do what you have to do.

Don't hold on to your past, because your present is what enlightens you. Go for the goal and don't let go, and see where your future takes you.

Hope is like a drop of sun, it lightens up your day. Even when it seems everything is wrong, it makes those thoughts go away.

Don't let anything or anyone, stop you from having fun. Because in those times you will soon see, your life has just begun!