NicholeHanna

"American Sonnet" By Billy Collins (1991)
Niki Hanna "American Sonnet" Billy Collins (1991) We do not speak like Petrarch or wear a hat like Spenser and it is not fourteen lines like furrows in a small, carefully plowed field

but the picture postcard, a poem on vacation, that forces us to sing our songs in little rooms or pour our sentiments into measuring cups.

We write on the back of a waterfall or lake, adding to the view a caption as conventional as an Elizabethan woman's heliocentric eyes.

We locate an adjective for the weather. We Announce that we are having a wonderful time. We express the wish that you were here.

and hide the wish that we were where you are, walking back from the mailbox, your head lowered as you read and turn the thin message in your hands.

A slice of this place, a length of white beach, a piazza or carved spires of a cathedral will pierce the familiar place where you remain,

and you will toss on the table this reversible display: a few square inches of where we have strayed and a compression of what we feel.

Way 1: First Impressions
When I first saw the title of my poem I thought it was going to be an American Sonnet. Once I started reading the poem I realized that it was about American sonnets and how the writer feels about them. I really enjoyed the poem and how metaphors are used to explain the simplicity of an American sonnet for example, "and it is not fourteen lines like furrows in a small, carefully plowed field." I interpreted this line to mean American sonnets are not carefully thought out and written just perfect instead they are thrown together with no real underlying meaning just too instantly please the reader/readers (mass production). Another example of a metaphor used is "but the picture postcard, a poem on vacation," which I interpreted Collins word choice to mean the poem sounds like any other poem (just like postcards with the same picture on everyone) and that the words are thoughtless as if on vacation. The next line of the poem had me confused at first, but after reading it the third time I think I figured it out. I think Collins is trying to compare the American sonnet today as mass produced and forced and that the words and content of the sonnets have to measure up to whoever is forcing them to be written. I imagined a bunch of writers in a small room mass producing cards for Hallmark. When Collins writes "We write on the back of a waterfall or lake," he is saying that what we write today is not "written in stone" so to speak. Collins them says "We locate an adjective for the weather. We announce that we are having a wonderful time. We express the wish that you were here." I think Collins is simplifying how sonnets are written today; I read it as if to say there is not much thought about what is being described. Words are looked up and chosen only if they sound good, not because it is what was heartfelt. I think he continues to express these ideas of thoughtless, heartless, nonexistent feelings that are in the American Sonnet. I also interpreted Collins poem to express how poets today hold back and only say what wants to be read by someone. In the last three sentences of the poem I think Collins was expressing that not only the writers of these sonnets have lost the true desire to write something heartfelt, but the readers today don't even appreciate what is written what is being said.

Way 2: Engaging with the Text
After copying the poem I realized that Collins used "we" often. In the middle of the poem he started every sentence with we capitalized and subject or adjective for the subject started with a w: "weather," "wonderful time," and "wish." I am not sure if this was intentional or not, but I did find it to flow quite well and it really put an emphasis on those words listed above. I also think he is redirecting who he is speaking about in those three sentences. I did not notice much more than this with the sound of the poem, but I am not very good at noticing these details yet, hopefully I will see/hear more from the poem the more I read it.


 * Vertical Thinking: Close Readings of the Text **

Way 3: A Point about Form and Its Relationship to Content
The poem "American Sonnet," by Billy Collins is a sonnet which is a form of lyric poetry. This sonnet doesn't quite fit the standard form of an English sonnet or an Italian sonnet. It does have characteristics closest to an English sonnet. There are three line stanzas, but it lacks the common rhyme scheme of abab, cdcd, efef, gg, as described in __A Practical Introduction to Literary Study,__ by Brown and Yarbrough (84). The other difference is number of lines. The typical sonnet has fourteen lines and this poem has twenty-one. I believe this was done on purpose to tie in with the title of the poem, "American Sonnet," because it is just that! It will not fit into the same form as an Italian sonnet (Petrarchan) as stated in the first line of the poem, "We do not speak like Petrarch or wear a hat like Spenser" (1). I believe Collins purposely wrote the poem in a similar form to a sonnet but added or left out certain qualities to make his point. He added an extra seven lines and there is no rhyme scheme. American poetry is different, it does not always appear to be of deep thought and wordy and it does not always follow a certain pattern.

Way 3: Another Point about Form and Its Relationship to Content
Collins starts the poem with "We" and uses "we" throughout the poem as to state that all American poets write the same. For example, "We locate an adjective for the weather," "We announce that we are having a wonderful time," and "We express the wish that you were here" (10-12). The poem is written in second-person point of view to make the reader relate to what is being said. I also think Collins may have chosen to use "we" instead of "I" because that is how a lot of Americans think. By this I mean that less and less Americans like to stand up for what is different and instead choose to go along with the majority.

Way 4: Unpacking an Instance of Figurative Language
When looking at the figurative language used in the poem I found an example of a metaphor, "not fourteen lines like furrows in a small, carefully plowed field" (2-3). Collins is comparing the lines in a sonnet to furrows in a field. He is making this comparison of American sonnets and how they differ from an English or Italian sonnet. For example, in an English sonnet there are fourteen lines that are carefully written and always exactly fourteen lines. Where as in an American sonnet there is not an exact number or science to how it is written. I found the meaning of the word furrow that seemed to go with the theme of the poem to be: "a rut or groove in a surface" (Encarta Dictionary). Collins is comparing the number of lines in a sonnet to furrows and how they are not the same. It is like he is saying an American sonnet does not follow the same groove as an English sonnet. I also looked up the word plowed which means "to cut through something or to make a clearing in something" (Encarta Dictionary). By saying "lines like furrows in a small, carefully plowed field," Collins is saying that the structure of the sonnet is not easy to see and not made clear to the reader. I think that Collins is basically saying American sonnets are not well thought out and that there is no precision to the sonnet as there is in a carefully plowed field. In a carefully plowed field every move is thought out and done in an exact way. I feel this metaphor connects to the rest of the poem because throughout the poem Collins is comparing the bleakness of American sonnets to the profoundness of English or Italian sonnets.

Way 4: Unpacking Another Instance of Figurative Language
Another form of figurative language that I found in the poem was imagery. Collins wrote, "but the picture postcard, a poem on vacation," which made me visualize a poem literally on a vacation (4). Here Collins is creating an image of a poem being on vacation. One of the meanings for poem is "writing with poetic effect" (Encarta Dictionary). The meaning of vacation is "break from work or act or instance of vacating" (Encarta Dictionary). Collins is saying that American sonnets are blase. By this I mean the American poets are not putting the poetic effects into these sonnets as if the poetic effect of the poem has vacated the sonnet. I think Collins is trying to say that American sonnets lack the depth and enthusiasm that the English and Italian sonnets contain. This directly connects with the poem as a whole because Collins expressed how unimpressed he is with American sonnets and the lack of deep thoughts within.

Way 5: Analyzing the Setting
The setting of this poem was tough to distinguish, because I think it is mostly about sonnets today and how they are written. The little setting that is described within the poem would be of vacation spots. Collins uses vacation destinations to compare to American sonnets because he is sending the message that American sonnets are like a vacation pretty and enjoyable, but there is little effort behind it.  

Way 6: Identifying and Analyzing Point of View
This poem is written in second person. Collins uses "we," "you," and "us" within the poem. Collins wrote in second person so the reader would directly relate with the poem and be included in the message he is sending to the audience. I feel he wrote this in second person because the poem is not just about an American sonnet, but about how Americans express their thoughts and feelings to one another, and how much is lacking this is done thru writing. If he would have used first or third person point of view, it would not have sent the same message. It would not seem to be such a loss of significance in the American writing today if he was just talking of one person. I also think he wrote it in second person to make people stop and look at how they write today? Do they write with meaning and feeling behind their words? Or, do they just write because it sounds nice and they think that is what they should be saying. By this I mean, when you write I love you at the end of a letter or in a card do you stop there, or do you write why you love that person? It is so common today to just write it because that is what is written at the end of a letter to someone of significance, but in the end they are just words with only a common general meaning, unless expressed further.

Way 7: Analyzing Complexity, Ambiguity, & Difficulty
I think there are a few ambiguities going on in this poem. When I first read the poem it appeared to be about American sonnets and how they do not compare to English or Italian sonnets. For example, "We do not speak like Petrarch...," and "and it is not fourteen lines like furrows in a small, carefully plowed field" (1-3). It also seem to give the message that love notes today are vague, quickly put together and leave out all real meaning of what is trying to be relayed. For example when Collins writes, "We express the wish that you were here/and hide the wish that we were where you are" (12-13). The poem seemed to also relay the message that we the readers of these sonnets (postcards) do not even enjoy them and what is being said we just toss it aside and forget about it. For instance, "and you will toss on the table this reversible display" (19). I think there are many ambiguities within this poem about how feelings are not expressed the same way they were long ago in the time of Elizabethan, Shakespearean, and Petrarchan.

Way 8: Considering Canonicity
I think this piece was picked for canonicity for many reasons. First of all, I think Collins has added aesthetic value to the poem, with his artistic word choice. He does not just speak of American sonnets and their qualities he paints a picture to go along with what the underlying message is. For example Collins writes, "or pour our sentiments into measuring cups" (6). This poem could be read for years to come and still bring about many important messages that will always be current. For instance the message of how important it is to say how you really feel to the ones you love; and to not get caught up in the modern conveniences of conveying a message to the ones we love. Lastly, I think this poem conveys a message that all cultures can tune into. I feel the American culture, may be offended or agree completely with the message Collins is sending.

Way 9: Biographical Context.
I found there biography of Billy Collins to be very interesting and I can see how his background relates to his writings. Billy Collins is an English Professor in New York. That connects to this poem about American sonnets, because he has studied many types of poetry. Collins is familiar with how sonnets used to be written in Elizabethan and Petrarchan times and how they are written now in America. In his biography it was stated that he writes about the "ironies and mysteries of everyday life and ordinary things" (Collins). It was also stated that it is his "subtle, critical intelligence that leads people to question ideas of human meaning and happiness" (Collins). I feel this directly connects with the poem "American Sonnet," because I feel the poem is about how people convey there love for each other now as opposed to in the Shakespearean time. Even though the poem does some technical comparisons of the two styles of sonnets, he seems to be sending the message that the American poets are missing something. I think that something that is missing is passion.

Way 10: Historical and Cultural Contexts
I had some trouble when I was looking for historical background in relation to this poem. I did find some interesting topics that popped up when I put in "literature in 1991." There were many writing done on the war and that made me think of Collins underlying meaning. Collins talks a lot about be gone and writing to the ones we love. Although he talks of places of "white beaches, a piazza or carved spires of a cathedral, waterfalls and lakes" the underlying message is about being away from your loved ones and not saying how much you really love them. All that is said is a mere "hi, it is hot, wish you were here."

I found some interesting information about the cultural terms used in the poem and how they directly relate to the underlying message in the poem. I looked up the word Petrarch and found a description of a Petrarchan sonnet and how they over flow with romanticism (Sonnet). In the very first line of the poem Collins writes, "We do not speak like Petrarch..." (1). I do not know if it could be more obvious. He is starting his poem by saying we are lacking passion in our writing to one another. The other term I looked up was Spenser, this was a little harder to decipher the connection. I do think it had something to do with the way writing has changed over time and the influence of other times that do not carry over (Palmer).

Way 11: Theoretical Application
 The first approach I took with literary criticism was the Reader-response criticism. I think the first question that would be asked by theorists is, who is this poem speaking of? I think they may interpret the poem to be speaking to American poets, or Americans in general. Collins uses "we, us, and you" throughout the poem, using a second person point of view. The next question that may be asked, is this speaking of everyone in general or just poets? I would interpret this poem to be speaking to anyone who writes to their loved ones. The next question that may be asked would have to pertain to Collins feelings of American sonnets? Does he think they are bad? Does he think they are good, just different? Or, does he feel they are inadequate compared to that of Elizabethan and Petrarchan sonnets. I would interpret Collins to be sending the message that American sonnets are inadequate and that they lack real thought and passion.

Way 12: Another Theoretical Application
The second approach I would be the New Criticism also referred to as the Formalism Criticism. Here the questions that will be asked will all revolve with the poem itself. There will be no outside information. The poem is titled "American Sonnet" yet the form is not quite the same as a sonnet, why? I would have to guess Collins did this purposely to prove one of the points of the poem, American sonnets are not like sonnets we are familiar with. The rhyme schemes are also different. The words denotative and connotative meanings would be looked at also. I would think they would question the meaning of "Petrarch" and "Elizabethan," because they both have to do with other forms of sonnets. They would find that these words refer to sonnets written by the English and Italian. They would also find that these sonnets are filled with romanticism. Which from reading the poem it is almost obvious that Collins feels this is what is lacking from American sonnets.

Way 13: Unifying Interpretation
When I first began this assignment I read the poem "American Sonnet" and felt it was about an American sonnet. After reading several more times I found it was much deeper than that. I interpreted the poem to be about American writing and how it is not the same as writings from the Petrarchan and Elizabethan times. I felt that Collins was focusing his message to all writers of love poems, greeting card, and just the normal couple. I think Collins was trying to express the lack of passion and feeling we use when we write of love today. When I first read, "but the picture postcard, a poem on vacation/that forces us to sing our songs in little rooms/or pour our sentiments into measuring cups," I felt Collins was bashing greeting card companies (4-6). I just imagined all these Hallmark writers in a small room, writing the general "I Love You" messages that we Americans find substantial enough to say how we feel for one another.

The more I read the poem and picked it apart I felt I was on the right track. I do not think Collins openly says that American sonnets do not live up to those sonnets of the past. I think he was just expressing the lack of passion and enthusiasm we show to the ones we love. It seems we are so vague in today's world when it comes to love and expressing it. Everyone is too worried about how the other person will react to what is said or they are too scared to write their true passionate feeling. Instead we relay on cards to convey the message or the short "I love you" or "I wish you were here." Brown, James, and Scott Yarbrough. //A Practical Introduction to Literary Study//. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2005. Print.
 * Works Cited and Consulted **

Burris, Skylar Hamilton. " Literary Criticism: An Overview of Approaches." @copyright 1999. []

"Collins, Billy, (b. 1941)." __Columbia Granger's Poetry Database__ (n.d.). __Columbia Granger's Poetry Database__. EBSCO. UW Colleges Online, Madison, WI. 29 July 2009 []

Palmer, Patricia. "Missing Bodies, Absent Bards: Spenser, Shakespeare and a Crisis in Criticism." 376-395. Blackwell Publishing Limited, 2006. __Academic Search Premier__. EBSCO. UW Colleges Online, Madison, WI. 30 July 2009 []

Sonnet." __Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition__ (Jan. 2009): 1-1. __Academic Search Premier__. EBSCO. UW Colleges Online, Madison, WI. 29 July 2009 []