What makes art interesting - whether it's visual, auditory, or tactile - is its twist on reality. A true artist, including "Billy Collins, Poet" brings the common and mundane to life in a fresh way.

This made me think of sinking, swimming, floating, and skimming across experiences many of us encounter. The experience of his craft makes Collins a delight.

Recommended for poets, aspiring poets, and those who like a new way of looking around them Enjoy.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this advanced reader copy of Water, Water in exchange for an honest review

It’s no secret that Billy Collins is one of my favorite poets. I fell in love with his work when I was a senior in high school when I went on a field trip to a poetry festival. So, when I was scanning through titles on NetGalley and saw this, I knew I had to read it.

And my expectations were surpassed (as always).

I loved everything about this—from the whimsy found in the mundane, the melodic prose, and the way certain poems say with me well after I finished.

Collins has a way of making some of the most commonplace actions beautiful and significant.

Highly, highly recommend!

I wasn’t sure about the collection when starting, and I don’t know if I would call this my favorite, but I think it is one that I can see myself returning to as I’m older. As someone in my early 20s, this didn't resonate as much as it could with me, but I think that’s also why I enjoyed it. I’m in a phase of preferring experimental poetry over traditional, but traditional poetry needs to be known to break it. When I enjoyed a poem, I deeply enjoyed it and the language and topics still kept me intrigued. I could note multiple poems that I enjoy now and others I can see myself falling in love with as as time passes.

If I could, I would give this a 3.5-3.75 stars, but I think rounding up to a 4 is fitting. Collins’ poetry is simple yet thought provoking. When this collection officially comes out, I think it will be one I recommend to people looking to get into poetry.

Thank you to Billy Collins, Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Random House, and Netgalley for this advanced reader copy of "Water, Water: Poems" for an honest review.

I continue to madly love all of Billy Collins' poetry works and this one was no different. I am always delighted that I can rely on his books to have 4-5 words I don't know (which almost never happens in my reading), and to have allusions/shoutouts to any number of historical works and poets/authors. I cannot wait to buy a copy of this and to gift it to others.

Billy Collins is still great. In this slim volume, we travel all over the world with him. Seeing the world through a consummate poet’s eye is a privilege. The imagery is lush, detailed, and unexpected. My favorite poem is the one about Emily Dickinson being read by an astronaut from the ISS. That’s why I love his work—it’s beautiful in surprising ways. Excellent use of time and thought!

Billy Collins has long been one of my favorite poets. Mostly because he writes about what we all know. For me, picking up one of his books is like sitting down with an old friend. I know that I can trust him to entertain me, with vignettes about daily life, always told with a touch of humor and intimacy. Nothing to analyze here, only things to make you reflect and dream. As a bookseller, Collins is my first choice when introducing people to poetry for the first time.
There are many poems that stand out in this collection, but "Fire" and "Anniversary" resonated with me the most. Those two alone make me want to have a finished copy on the shelf of my own personal library!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the digital advance reading copy!

I really loved most of Billy Collins' past work, but I think the last few books have fallen short, including this one. There are some well-written, interesting poems in Water, Water. I just wish there was more editing. I think this book could have been reduced by half and it would have made for a stronger book of poems.

Reading a poem by Billy Collins is quite like receiving a long text message from a close friend who's eager to tell you about this wild thing that happened to them today or about a somewhat profound realization that they've had. His poems made me smile....except for Display Case, which reduced me to tears. Each poem is relatable and unpretentious, each one left me wanting more. I'm already thinking about the people who will be receiving a copy of this as a gift for future holidays.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC of this book.

Another wonderful book of poetry by Billy Collins ,I look forward to reading a few each day.Every poem is thoughtful entertaining and engaging He is one of my favorite poets.#netgalley #randomhouse

3.5/5

It's hard to rate and review poetry, especially since I don't often read this genre of literature. I still reach out to poetry on certain occasions because it's a wonderful feeling when you find that one poem that resonates deeply with you - I'm happy to have found that one poem within this collection.

This book consists of a collection of 60 poems which were all beautifully written. Most of the poems evoked vivid imagery that often made me think twice about what I just read.

I tried my best to rate each poem I read, resulting in an average rating of 3.5.

My favourite poems from this collection were:
- BC/AD
- Sunday Drive
- Deep Time
- The Cardinal (I loved this one the most!)
- Beginning
- Incipit
- The Brooklyn Dodgers
- Doctor Jesus
- Nonsense
- Drawing a Pineapple

Beautiful poetry - Billy Collins never misses. I love the straightforward style that he has.

Favourites include Lesson Plan, Display Case ("but if you've made a mark / your existence might continue / alphabetically / on a public shelf"). Water, Water ("I don't care if my head looks / like a beach ball from the shore, / as long as the lake water holds me up / and i keep my balance with extended arms"), If/Then, and The Thing.

There are many callbacks and references to other poets, here - a lot of meta-analysis and self-analysis. But the impact for me comes from the simple way he describes both ordinary and extraordinary things that makes the words sing off the page, then settle in your body.

The poetry of Billy Collins always inspires me. I've been reading a few poems each morning, to start my day with beauty, and I love the way his poems have a subtle twist at the end that makes me reconsider what I've just read. They are a window into his life as an artist, and in a way, a sort of prescription for living-- observe and reflect.

I came to this collection rather coincidentally—I loved the cover, noticed that it was being released on my birthday, and remembered enjoying an interview with Billy Collins years ago on NPR. So I read. And reading these poems made me warm. Each poem was funny, decent, fresh. It reminded me of New England, a place I’ve actually never been but only imagined (I can’t explain, I’m afraid, but it’s true!). I’m glad it’s getting released in the fall—I felt rather autumnal. Many will delight with this collection!

Had you asked me last year at this time if I read poetry, my answer would have been no. Being exposed and learning how to appreciate poetry came through a strand I tutored with Classical Conversations. I was introduced to Billy Collins’ work in another book and have continued to seek out more of him. When I saw his newest release available for request on Netgalley, I was quick to click! Many of the poems within these pages are thought provoking. I especially enjoyed “BC/AD” because I can imagine, having been with a class of teenagers, this very conversation.

I was a bit disappointed by the last Collins collection, "Whale Day", which seemed long-winded and heavy handed. I was delighted by this collection, which, at least for me, marked a return to the Collins I most appreciate - observant, pointed, darkly whimsical, and cheerfully edgy.

I loved this collection of poems because it examines everyday moments and imbues them with meaning. I liked the humor sprinkled jn.

Billy Collins has become one of my favorite poets over the last few years. He has a way of approaching poetry so simply and relatability. It's easy to understand and you don't have to struggle through complicated words or overly lyrical thoughts. It's like he is the one writing in all of our journals. Writing about what we think and what we see in everyday life. It just makes his poetry enjoyable.
Thank you Netgalley for this advanced e-book copy of "Water, Water" by Billy Collins.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for a ARC. For new to poetry and Billy Collins fans it is worth adding to your shelf. Another reviewer put it succinctly Collins reminds us “what a privilege it is to be alive”.
So why 4 stars, not 5? Although Collins says he put aside writing his autobiography, he accomplished it in this text. It is not a book for those not privilege to travel or have leisure to watch a cat by the swimming pool. Call me jealous.
I enjoyed references to poets and artist. I especially appreciated Water, Water,Margins,Lesson Plan,Zero Grannies,Deep Time, Turning the Page and First Typewriter “.
Find a copy November 2024 for yourself and wrap one up for a gift too.

It kind of had the opposite issue of his last collection, where it was a little long-winded. It was as if he crammed in everything that got cut out of 'Musical Tables,' so both books were off balance, instead of just one needing something more/less. I definitely enjoyed this far more than the fragmented style last used, far more depth and feeling to these poems. Billy Collins is still my favorite poet and I'm very thankful to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy! My favorite poem in the collection:

Sunday Drive

What if it turns out
that there is no afterlife.
This may come as a letdown to some,
but the good news is
that the believers of every religion
won't experience the least disappointment
for the simple reason
that they will be dead at that point
and incapable of experiencing anything.

Same goes for the skeptics,
agnostics, and the card-carrying atheists.
No opportunity to smirk or brag
for the same reason mentioned above.
I was thinking about this
on my drive to the beach one Sunday
when I saw a flock of well-dressed people
filing into a clapboard church
under a tall, white steeple.

I did not turn the car around,
pull up to the church door,
and deliver this news from the roof of the car.
No, I drove on with the radio up loud
and the windows down,
content to keep those tidings to myself,
a faithless congregation of one,
now driving much too fast
and just as afraid of heaven as he is of hell.

Sometimes the reading you need most is a good book of poetry that makes you see everyday life in fresh ways. This new volume by Billy Collins serves that purpose on every page. I loved it.