About Poetry

This from Artistic Associate Kirsten D'Aurelio (lead in Menorca)

Ann,

Bravo on a really spirited and beautifully-staged production!

When you talked about the light switch, I thought of this Billy Collins poem. Is this the one you meant? I always read it to my Performance of Lit classes when we start the poetry unit.

Have a great run!

Peace,
Kirsten

Introduction to Poetry
by Billy Collins

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.