by Billy Collins
Billy Collins poetry feels effortless, but beneath the surface is always something stronger, more precise, calculated. Whenever I read Collins I find myself smiling, just near the end, when his effort pays off. Smiled a lot reading this book.
I'm not sure if I liked this collection less than previous ones because Collins' style has become somewhat predictable for me, or if these poems really do lack the oomph of his earlier work. If this were the first book of his I had read, I might have been more startled by his word-play, his punchlin...
A wonder glimpse into Collins' mind and a beautiful read that makes one delve into one's own mind.
My favorite poem in this collection is "Hippos on Holiday"!