Billy Collins Quotes

Top 72 wise famous quotes and sayings by Billy Collins

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Billy Collins Famous Quotes & Sayings

Discover top inspirational quotes from Billy Collins on Wise Famous Quotes.

Billy Collins quotes: I'm easily frightened, and I've also come to realize that old Catholic guilt or remorse is easily stimulated. I'm easily frightened, and I've also come to realize that old Catholic guilt or remorse is easily stimulated.
Billy Collins quotes: I think 'accessible' just means that the reader can walk into the poem without difficulty. The poem is not, as someone put it, deflective of entry. I think 'accessible' just means that the reader can walk into the poem without difficulty. The poem is not, as someone put it, deflective of entry.
Billy Collins quotes: I don't think anybody reads a book of poetry front to back. Editors and reviewers only. I don't think anybody else does. I don't think anybody reads a book of poetry front to back. Editors and reviewers only. I don't think anybody else does.
Billy Collins quotes: Very few people have actually read Freud, but everyone seems prepared to talk about him in that Woody Allen way. To read Freud is not as much fun. Very few people have actually read Freud, but everyone seems prepared to talk about him in that Woody Allen way. To read Freud is not as much fun.
Billy Collins quotes: While the novelist is banging on his typewriter, the poet is watching a fly in the windowpane. While the novelist is banging on his typewriter, the poet is watching a fly in the windowpane.
Billy Collins quotes: The dog (the poet) is on top of a locomotive," ... "He's got a box full of track, and he's frenetically laying down track in front of the train. The dog (the poet) is on top of a locomotive," ... "He's got a box full of track, and he's frenetically laying down track in front of the train.
Billy Collins quotes: I first came across 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree' in college, with other anthologized poems by Yeats. I first came across 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree' in college, with other anthologized poems by Yeats.
Billy Collins quotes: High School is the place where poetry goes to die. High School is the place where poetry goes to die.
Billy Collins quotes: I'm going through life's cycles at an alarmingly fast pace, but my persona has a Peter Pan quality: he doesn't age. I'm going through life's cycles at an alarmingly fast pace, but my persona has a Peter Pan quality: he doesn't age.
Billy Collins quotes: I was able to read poets that were - allowed me to be humorous without being silly. I was able to read poets that were - allowed me to be humorous without being silly.
Billy Collins quotes: Write the poem only you can write. Write the poem only you can write.
Billy Collins quotes: So many names, there is barely room on the walls of the heart. So many names, there is barely room on the walls of the heart.
Billy Collins quotes: My persona is less miserable than a lot of contemporary poetry speakers are. My persona is less miserable than a lot of contemporary poetry speakers are.
Billy Collins quotes: A motto I've adopted is, if at first you don't succeed, hide all evidence that you ever tried. A motto I've adopted is, if at first you don't succeed, hide all evidence that you ever tried.
Billy Collins quotes: Until recently, I thought 'occasional poetry' meant that you wrote only occasionally. Until recently, I thought 'occasional poetry' meant that you wrote only occasionally.
Billy Collins quotes: The public is probably more suspicious of poets than women, and maybe for good reason. The public is probably more suspicious of poets than women, and maybe for good reason.
Billy Collins quotes: I'm an only child, and I can take all the attention you manage to pile on me. I'm an only child, and I can take all the attention you manage to pile on me.
Billy Collins quotes: After all, is a gentleman's library of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves anything more than a vanity? After all, is a gentleman's library of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves anything more than a vanity?
Billy Collins quotes: It was a wonderful time to be alive, or even dead. It was a wonderful time to be alive, or even dead.
Billy Collins quotes: This love for everyday things, part natural from the wide eye of Infancy, part a literary calculation This love for everyday things,
part natural from the wide eye of Infancy,
part a literary calculation
Billy Collins quotes: I'm not a claustrophobe, but you don't need to be to feel claustrophobic inside an MRI. It's like being buried alive. I'm not a claustrophobe, but you don't need to be to feel claustrophobic inside an MRI. It's like being buried alive.
Billy Collins quotes: All I wanted was to be a pea of being inside the green pod of time. All I wanted was to be a pea of being inside the green pod of time.
Billy Collins quotes: The trouble with poetry is that it encourages the writing of more poetry ... The trouble with poetry is that it encourages the writing of more poetry ...
Billy Collins quotes: Life is a loaded gunthat looks right at you with a yellow eye. Life is a loaded gun
that looks right at you with a yellow eye.
Billy Collins quotes: There's something very authentic about humor, when you think about it. Anybody can pretend to be serious. But you can't pretend to be funny. There's something very authentic about humor, when you think about it. Anybody can pretend to be serious. But you can't pretend to be funny.
Billy Collins quotes: I stared up at the ebbing quarter moon and the stars scattered like a handful of salt across the faraway sky ... I stared up at the ebbing quarter moon and the stars scattered like a handful of salt across the faraway sky ...
Billy Collins quotes: There's a lot of unconscious activity that goes on I think in the composition of a poem. There's a lot of unconscious activity that goes on I think in the composition of a poem.
Billy Collins quotes: One of these days I'm-a make me a book out of you. One of these days I'm-a make me a book out of you.
Billy Collins quotes: I think the pleasure of form is that you have a companion with you besides all the poetry you have ever read. I think the pleasure of form is that you have a companion with you besides all the poetry you have ever read.
Billy Collins quotes: I see woefully obscure poetry as simply a kind of verbal rudeness. I see woefully obscure poetry as simply a kind of verbal rudeness.
Billy Collins quotes: Nationalism is a type of insanity in which the boundaries of a land replace God. Nationalism is a type of insanity in which the boundaries of a land replace God.
Billy Collins quotes: I'll listen to anything authentic whether it's bluegrass or gospel or blues. I'll listen to anything authentic whether it's bluegrass or gospel or blues.
Billy Collins quotes: No one here likes a wet dog. No one here likes a wet dog.
Billy Collins quotes: You will always be the bread and the knife, not to mention the crystal goblet and - somehow - the wine. You will always be the bread and the knife, not to mention the crystal goblet and - somehow - the wine.
Billy Collins quotes: I learned snails don't have ears. They live in silence. They go slowly. Slowly, slowly in silence. I learned snails don't have ears. They live in silence. They go slowly. Slowly, slowly in silence.
Billy Collins quotes: When I became poet laureate, I was in a slightly uncomfortable position because I think a lot of poetry isn't worth reading. When I became poet laureate, I was in a slightly uncomfortable position because I think a lot of poetry isn't worth reading.
Billy Collins quotes: I'm pretty much all for poetry in public places - poetry on buses, poetry on subways, on billboards, on cereal boxes. I'm pretty much all for poetry in public places - poetry on buses, poetry on subways, on billboards, on cereal boxes.
Billy Collins quotes: The girl who signed her papers in lipstickleans against the drugstore, smoking,brushing her hair like a machine The girl who signed her papers in lipstick
leans against the drugstore, smoking,
brushing her hair like a machine
Billy Collins quotes: You trip over a word while carryinga tray of vocabulary out to the poolonly to discover that broken glassis a good topic. You trip over a word while carrying
a tray of vocabulary out to the pool
only to discover that broken glass
is a good topic.
Billy Collins quotes: I think my poems are slightly underrated by the word 'accessible.' I think my poems are slightly underrated by the word 'accessible.'
Billy Collins quotes: I thought originally when I was in school and I wanted to be a poet, I knew that poets seemed to be miserable. I thought originally when I was in school and I wanted to be a poet, I knew that poets seemed to be miserable.
Billy Collins quotes: Poetry is like standing on the edge of a lake on a moonlit night and the light of the moon is always pointing straight at you. Poetry is like standing on the edge of a lake on a moonlit night and the light of the moon is always pointing straight at you.
Billy Collins quotes: I'm a nearly uncontrollable Geoff Dyer fan, who I think is one of the most comically brilliant writers today. I'm a nearly uncontrollable Geoff Dyer fan, who I think is one of the most comically brilliant writers today.
Billy Collins quotes: But tonight, the lion of contentment has placed a warm heavy paw on my chest. But tonight, the lion of contentment has placed a warm heavy paw on my chest.
Billy Collins quotes: I don't write for an auditorium full of people. I don't write for the microphone; I write for the page. I don't write for an auditorium full of people. I don't write for the microphone; I write for the page.
Billy Collins quotes: And you are certainly not the pine-scented air.There is just no way that you are the pine-scented air And you are certainly not the pine-scented air.
There is just no way that you are the pine-scented air
Billy Collins quotes: Just pour the tea, just look into the eye of the flower, just sing the song - one thing at a time and Just pour the tea, just look into the eye of the flower, just sing the song - one thing at a time and
Billy Collins quotes: Besides the aesthetics, besides teaching an appreciation of T.S. Eliot, a basic need is fulfilled when you teach English at CUNY. Besides the aesthetics, besides teaching an appreciation of T.S. Eliot, a basic need is fulfilled when you teach English at CUNY.
Billy Collins quotes: I sit in the dark and wait for a little flame to appear at the end of my pencil. I sit in the dark and wait for a little flame to appear at the end of my pencil.
Billy Collins quotes: When I write, I'm not trying to be funny. It's the way I look at the world. When I write, I'm not trying to be funny. It's the way I look at the world.
Billy Collins quotes: The poets who have written the best poems about war seem to be the poets whose countries have experienced an invasion or vicious dictatorships. The poets who have written the best poems about war seem to be the poets whose countries have experienced an invasion or vicious dictatorships.
Billy Collins quotes: It is as if one by one, the memories you used to harbor decided to retire to the Southern Hemisphere of the brain. It is as if one by one, the memories you used to harbor decided to retire to the Southern Hemisphere of the brain.
Billy Collins quotes: Radio is such a perfect medium for the transmission of poetry, primarily because there just is the voice, there's no visual distraction. Radio is such a perfect medium for the transmission of poetry, primarily because there just is the voice, there's no visual distraction.
Billy Collins quotes: Pleasure, of course, is a slippery word ... Our pleasures ultimately belong to us, not to the pleasure's source. Pleasure, of course, is a slippery word ... Our pleasures ultimately belong to us, not to the pleasure's source.
Billy Collins quotes: Poems are perfect for something to listen to while you're walking around because they don't take very long. Poems are perfect for something to listen to while you're walking around because they don't take very long.
Billy Collins quotes: It's a good thing to get poetry off the shelves and more into public life. It's a good thing to get poetry off the shelves and more into public life.
Billy Collins quotes: Would pass in the street, mostly people whose existence I did not believe in, Would pass in the street, mostly people whose existence I did not believe in,
Billy Collins quotes: I find that my reading, particularly nonfiction, can inspire a poem as well as anything else. I find that my reading, particularly nonfiction, can inspire a poem as well as anything else.
Billy Collins quotes: Discovering Samuel Beckett in college was a big deal for me. I realized you could be very funny and very dark at the same time. Discovering Samuel Beckett in college was a big deal for me. I realized you could be very funny and very dark at the same time.