Aimless Love

A Selection of Poems

By: Billy Collins

Narrated by: Billy Collins

Length: 1 hr and 24 mins

Publisher's Summary

DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE: Includes five additional poems only available on the digital download.

"Billy Collins puts the 'fun' back in 'profundity.' "
--Alice Fulton

From the two-term Poet Laureate of the United States Billy Collins comes his first compilation of new and selected poems in 12 years. Aimless Love combines new poems with selections from four previous books - Nine Horses, The Trouble with Poetry, Ballistics, and Horoscopes for the Dead. Collins's unmistakable voice, which brings together plain speech with imaginative surprise, is clearly heard with every word, reminding us how he has managed to enrich the tapestry of contemporary poetry and greatly expand its audience. His work is featured in top literary magazines such as The New Yorker, Poetry, and The Atlantic, and he sells out reading venues all across the country. Appearing regularly in The Best American Poetry series, his poems appeal to readers and live audiences far and wide and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. By turns playful, ironic, and serious, Collins's poetry captures the nuances of everyday life while leading the reader into zones of inspired wonder. In the poet's own words, he hopes that his poems "begin in Kansas and end in Oz." Touching on the themes of love, loss, joy, and poetry itself, these poems showcase the best work of this "poet of plenitude, irony, and Augustan grace" (The New Yorker).

Envoy

Go, little book,
out of this house and into the world,

carriage made of paper rolling toward town
bearing a single passenger
beyond the reach of this jittery pen
and far from the desk and the nosy gooseneck lamp.

It is time to decamp,
put on a jacket and venture outside,
time to be regarded by other eyes,
bound to be held in foreign hands.

So off you go, infants of the brain,
with a wave and some bits of fatherly advice:

stay out as late as you like,
don’t bother to call or write,
and talk to as many strangers as you can.

©2013 Billy Collins (P)2013 Random House

the audio version is abridged.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Liked the poem "Divorce."

Any additional comments?

It should be noted that the audio has 53 poems while Collins' book contains well over a 100 poems. That said, the selection here is great just wished it carried all the poems the book has.
Also, if you are trying to read along with the book then it could get a bit tedious since the poems on the audio are not in the same order in the book, so be prepared for lots of flipping back and forth between the table of contents then for the page number.

In Love with Aimless Love

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I own this book in hard cover, but a visual reading cannot compare with hearing it read by Billy Collins himself. Beginning with the first poem, "The Country" (my favorite humorous poem in the book) and ending with "The Names" written (for the victims of September 11th and their survivors) this book of poetry illustrates the wide scope of Billy Collins poetic gift. It is profound, witty, ironic, and memorable. Buy this book!

What did you like best about this story?

Hearing Billy Collins read his own work, because his emphasis and inflections added insight into his meaning and I felt as if he were in the room with me, saying "Reader" Looker, gazer, skimmer, skipper, thumb-licking page turner.." to me alone.

Which character – as performed by Billy Collins – was your favorite?

I liked the first and last poems in this book the best, but every poem in the book was memorable.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I enjoy listening to a few poems at a time, letting them settle, and rereading. This is a book I will return to again and again.

Any additional comments?

I would like Audible to produce more books of Billy Collin's poetry and perhaps his anthologies of collected poems from other poets, such as 180.

Hearing These Poems

I've read/loved most of Billy Collins' poetry. Hearing him read it is a bonus. Heavenly.

Great Poems

The poems are fantastic. It is very disappointing that the chapters are not labeled by the poems name. Otherwise it is great.

I love Billy Collins’ poems!

I first learned of Billy Collins when he spoke at my high school while U.S. poet laureate. His poems are taunt, and light, cutting to the core of the subject. He has given me a goal: to write as close to his measure as possible. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I. And so I return to listen again...and again.

A Poet you can take anywhere.

Billy Collins is an American gem. He is soothing, funny, insightful, melodic, and gently inspiring.

Billy is the Best!

I love listening to Billy Collins read his own poetry. His dry, understated delivery actually heightens the humor and pathos of the written poems. Always inviting and often playful, his poems nevertheless startle and provoke. Like his favorite 17-year-old daughter, we love Billy "just the way he is."

Poet Laureate Strikes Again

Billy Collins, former USA Poet Laureate, proves once again why he is my favorite living poet. Hearing him read his poetry is an added treat. He is simultaneously deep and reachable, and speaks to the experience of every day life. Highly recommended!

Billy Collins Magic

I enjoyed every minute of this. I enjoy his strange speech pattern which makes his poetry that much more imagerious & memorable.

Not what i was looking for

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

If you like Collin's, then you will like this.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

No

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Aimless Love?

It was more the style and subject that I didn't like.