What Does a Poet Laureate Do? Billy Collins.

As Howard Nemerov wrote, “The Consultant in Poetry is a very busy man, chiefly because he spends so much

 time talking with people who want to know what the Consultant in Poetry does.”

The title and duties have changed through the years since its inception, as have the activities of the honorees.

From 1937 to 1985, the position gradually placed less emphasis on developing the Library’s collections and more on organizing local poetry readings, lectures, conferences, and outreach programs. By the time the title was changed to Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, the position bore little resemblance to its initial incarnation.

Officially, there are only three formal requirements.

Each Poet Laureate must: 

• give a reading or presentation to inaugurate their term
• select the two annual Witter Bynner Fellows and introduce them at their Library of Congress reading
• give a reading or presentation to close their term

Other than that, each one is left to mold the position after her/his own interests and inclinations. Some choose to be highly visible as national poetry advocates, while others turn from the spotlight and focus on their writing.

I decided to do a little digging. You see, I love poetry but there is so much that I don't know about the world of poetry.

When I first read the Library of Congress article about Poets Laureate, a bell rang in my head. Right here on my own blog I have the RSS feed for "Poetry 180," the brain child of none other than Billy Collins, former Poet Laureate. It's been there since August of 2009 and I had nearly forgotten its origin.

I think we'll start there.  

Two time Poet Laureate, from 2001 until 2003, he also served as Poet Laureate for the State of New York from 2004 until 2006.

Put your hands together for:

Billy Collins

What? A bit much?

"The reason you would carpe the diem is that you don’t have too many diems left."



So what did he do besides write poetry?

Well, most notably, he developed POETRY 180 in 2001 to introduce high school students to poetry by presenting them with a new poem for each of the 180 days of the school year.

The program also resulted in several Poetry 180 anthologies, as well as a Teachers' Guide to the book Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry. 

Bringing accessible poetry to students (and students to poetry),

 pretty good use of time and influence, dontcha think.

Currently, he has the Billy Collins Action Poetry Project, in which 11 of his poems have been brought to life by artists.

Here is an example. Enjoy.



ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Billy Collins:

• Online resources for Billy Collins.
• Prior posts on Billy Collins here & here.

General:

• From the Catbird Seat: Poetry and literature at the Library of Congress.
• List of Poets Laureate.

POETRY 180

I just found the most wonderful thing. As I was carousing around on the internet, I happened upon Poetry 180: A Poem A Day For American High Schools, a site by former poet laureate, Billy Collins, and part of the Library of Congress.

"Poetry 180 is designed to make it easy for students to hear or read a poem on each of the 180 days of the school year. I have selected the poems you will find here with high school students in mind. ... Listening to poetry can encourage students and other learners to become members of the circle of readers for whom poetry is a vital source of pleasure. I hope Poetry 180 becomes an important and enriching part of the school day."

The first poem in the list is by Mr. Collins, himself, entitled -

how appropriate:

Introduction To Poetry

I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.

But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.

from The Apple that Astonished Paris, 1996
University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Ark.

Copyright 1988 by Billy Collins. All rights reserved.

I have added the link to Poetry 180 on the left. It is a great idea from a poet I truly enjoy. There are many names in the poetry list I am unfamiliar with, and that gives me a chance to broaden my own horizons. Who knows, I may even find a new favorite or two (or three).

You can find the Poetry 180 Homepage on the link to the Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center. It is definitely worth perusing. A permanent link to the Library's home page is offered at left, also under NEXUS.