Introduction to Poetry

"Advice to Writers" by Billy Collins (1988)

The University of Arkansas Press published Collins’s first true collection of poems, The Apple That Astonished Paris, in 1988. “Introduction to Poetry” appears in this collection alongside “Advice to Writers”: a poem in which Collins continues his exploration of what it means to be a creative. “Advice to Writers” grapples with the fear of the blank page, and unpacks how the cleanliness (or lack thereof) of a writer’s physical space impacts their ability to be creative. “Advice to Writers” utilizes the same playful metaphors and humor that “Introduction to Poetry” does, leading readers to an unexpectedly deep conclusion about the theme of writing.

"Budapest" by Billy Collins (2001)

“Budapest” made its first appearance in Sailing Around the Room: New and Selected Poems, a collection published by Penguin Random House in 2001. “Budapest” uses the same hyper-specific imagery and nuanced figurative language that “Introduction to Poetry” does, personifying the poet’s pen to discuss the construction of poetry from the perspective of the writer. Collins again transforms the poem into something bigger than the words on the page, transporting readers to places they have never been through the power of language.