“Some Days” by Billy Collins (1998)

Collins takes a slightly more cynical look at life in general in a poem from the middle of his career.

“Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins (1988)

This poem was inspired by the early years of Collins’s teaching career. It conveys the tension between poetry as an academic discipline and the more relaxed vocation of reading poetry for enjoyment. Collins uses his usual dry wit to convey the struggle that many students have with poetry while still expressing how passionate about poetry he is.

“All These Mirrors” by Charles Simic (1997)

A poem by one of Billy Collins’s favorite contemporary poets. This poem has the same tongue-in-cheek tone that Collins uses in his poetry, though Simic’s work does seem to be a bit darker. Collins has stated that he reads poetry to be inspired for his own, and he calls Simic “one of the clearest yet most bizarre and mysterious poets of our time” and that “[t]hese poems leave me with feelings of stunned admiration and jealousy” (“Billy Collins’ 6 favorite books.” The Week. 2016).

“Dejection: An Ode” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1802)