Billy Collins: the poet of continuity and change From controversial events to stories of ordinary life, Billy Collins writes about various topics in different perspectives just like a chameleon, changing his colors to suit the surrounding environment. Collins speaks in a kind but funny way; illustrates deep understanding through clear observation. His writing style blends humor and solemnity into a single entity. Throughout his poetry, Collins demonstrates, in a witty and satirical voice, his insight into objects, using numerous poetic devices, especially allusions and metaphors to effectively convey his messages, most of which revolve around the theme of death. unique combinations that Collins displays in many of his poems, challenging readers to interpret his work in different perspectives. In “Introduction to Poetry,” Collins offers a witty comparison between the definition of poetry and various other experiments. He asks the reader to “hold [the poem] up to the light/like a colored slide” (1-3), “press an ear against its hive” (4), “drop a mouse into a poem” (5). , “walking in the poem room” (7), and “water skiing on the surface of a poem” (9-10). Rather than rigidly explaining the definition of poetry, he finds creative and entertaining approaches to explain his methods of consuming poems and promoting readers' interest in discovering the true meaning of poetry. Just as one's surroundings would look different through color slides, he asks readers to see the world from different points of view as they read and write poetry. Furthermore, by listening to the beehive of the poem, dropping a mouse, and walking in his room, Collins encourages readers to discover the hidden depth of the poem. He comments... in the center of the paper... the corset like the last page of a book he is reading. The poem eventually reaches its end and he states that Dickinson's lines resemble his words and leave the implication of his death. Collins' use of words, although he does not directly state "death" in the poems, contains nostalgia for the old days and a feeling of sadness that leads naturally to the central theme of his poem, death. Billy Collins is a poet who accepts change, but maintains his focus. Throughout his poetic career, his voice varies depending on the topic he selects, while his unique poetic devices and consistent theme represent who he is as a poet. Collins knows how to express humor and irony to illustrate his brilliant intuitions towards objects, he uses particular poetic terms, for example allusions and metaphors, to effectively convey his idea which often focuses on the theme of death.