Home / Quotes / Quote by Billy Collins

Quote by Billy Collins

“I was a pretty happy kid, I had to fake it. I had to get into this miserable character before I wrote poems.”

Quote by Billy Collins

Author

Billy Collins is a renowned American poet, born on March 22, 1941. His poetry is known for its simplicity, humor, and profound insights, making it popular among readers. Collins served as the United States Poet Laureate and taught at several universities. more

You May Also Like

“I was able to read poets that were - allowed me to be humorous without being silly.”

Able Poet Humorous Silly Being Silly

Author:Billy Collins

“The really authentic thing about humor is that anyone can pretend to be serious. Anyone who's ever had a job - in fact, we're pretending to be serious now, more or less.”

Facts Jobs Serious Pretending

Author:Billy Collins

“I hope the poem, as it goes on, gets more complicated, a little more demanding, a little more ambiguous or speculative, so that we're drifting away from the casual beginning of the poem into something a little more serious.”

Littles Serious Goes On Complicated Casual Drifting Ambiguous Drifting Away

Author:Billy Collins

“Robert Frost really started this whole thing rolling. He was, I believe, the first poet who started going to colleges. Before that, poets didn't give public readings very often, certainly not - there was no circuit of schools.”

Giving Firsts Believe Whole School Reading I Believe College Poet Rolling Frost Circuits Going To College

Author:Billy Collins

“Now I would say at any given moment in American life, there are probably 45 poets in airplanes vectoring across the country heading towards...I don't know if anyone's reading it, but poets are still flying around the country going from lectern to lectern.That circuitry has become very well-established.”

Ifs Knows Wells Stills Country Moments Reading Given Poet Flying Airplane Headings American Life

Author:Billy Collins

“I think the pleasure of form is that you have a companion with you besides all the poetry you have ever read.”

Thinking Form Pleasure Companion

Author:Billy Collins

“People used to think I was so strange because my toiletry bag used to contain so many grooming items and cosmetics and stuff. But I think it's more acceptable these day for guys to take care of themselves. I think it's becoming more commonplace, not just for sportsmen, but for all guys to take care of themselves. Taking care of yourself is a nice thing to do. It's not seen as just a girl thing anymore. You see a lot more guys at the gym taking care of themselves, and I think it's going to continue to grow.”

“To write poetry is to be very alone, but you always have the company of your influences. But you also have the company of the form itself, which has a kind of consciousness. I mean, the sonnet will simply tell you, that's too many syllables or that's too many lines or that's the wrong place. So, instead of being alone, you're in dialogue with the form.”

Writing Kind Mean Form Lines Consciousness Company Influence Dialogue Poetry Is Sonnet Syllables

Author:Billy Collins

“Your core is so important. Get your endurance up. Running and long-distance. Swimming is good as well. Important to have a good core, utilize the proper exercises to strengthen it. It goes out to the rest of your body and makes sure your body is right.”

Wells Long Important Body Running Exercise Distance Your Body Core Endurance Swimming Long Distance

Author:Jozy Altidore

“As a soccer player, the goal isn't to be very bulky. It is more important to even your body out. Make sure your body is well rounded. You can't really focus on one area. Everything has to be balanced.”

Wells Important Body Goal Focus Player Areas Your Body Soccer Balanced Soccer Player Well Rounded

Author:Jozy Altidore