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The Rain in Portugal
The Rain in Portugal: Poems | Billy Collins
22 posts | 16 read | 17 to read
From former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins comes a twelfth collection of poetry offering nearly fifty new poems that showcase the generosity, wit, and imaginative play that prompted The Wall Street Journal to call him Americas favorite poet. The Rain in Portugala title that admits hes not much of a rhymersheds Collinss ironic light on such subjects as travel and art, cats and dogs, loneliness and love, beauty and death. His tones range from the whimsicalthe dogs of Minneapolis . . . / have no idea theyre in Minneapolisto the elegiac in a reaction to the death of Seamus Heaney. A student of the everyday, here Collins contemplates a weather vane, a still life painting, the calendar, and a child lost at a beach. His imaginative fabrications have Shakespeare flying comfortably in first class and Keith Richards supporting the globe on his head. By turns entertaining, engaging, and enlightening, The Rain in Portugal amounts to another chorus of poems from one of the most respected and familiar voices in the world of American poetry. On Rhyme Its possible that a stitch in time might save as many as twelve or as few as three, and I have no trouble remembering that September has thirty days. So do June, November, and April. I like a cat wearing a chapeau or a trilby, Little Jack Horner sitting on a sofa, old men who are not from Nantucket, and how life can seem almost unreal when you are gently rowing a boat down a stream. Thats why instead of recalling today that it mostly pours in Spain, I am going to picture the rain in Portugal, how it falls on the hillside vineyards, on the surface of the deep harbors where fishing boats are swaying, and in the narrow alleys of the cities where three boys in tee shirts are kicking a soccer ball in the rain, ignoring the window-cries of their mothers.
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Eggs
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Pickpick

Soft pick. Some are so amusing and some just lose me. But still a great read.

#Pantone2023
#20in4Readathon Day 3

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DebbieGrillo
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Ode to Joy
"Friedrich Schiller called Joy the spark of divinity
but she visits me on a regular basis..."

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/11/billy-collins-ode-to-joy/62...

kspenmoll Thanks Debbie, love this. 3y
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Caryl
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Pickpick

This book had been sitting on my shelf since I saw Billy Collins speak back in the fall of 2016. He‘s pretty wonderful. These poems were such a treat. If you‘re not a poetry fan, I think Billy Collins could make you one. This was my June #doublespin pick.

#BookSpinBINGO

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 3y
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Lcsmcat
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1. I stood beside the organ in a church with bad sight lines to tell the organist who was coming down the aisle at weddings she played for.
2. Health and kitties
#thankfulThursday @Cosmos_Moon

Cosmos_Moon_River When to cue “here comes the bride”? 4y
Lcsmcat @Cosmos_Moon Exactly! She couldn‘t see whether it was the mother of the bride, the bridesmaids or the bride. 4y
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Eggs
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The Present

cathysaid I don‘t enjoy much poetry, but Billy Collins is so accessible I always enjoy his work. 6y
LiteraryinPA @cathysaid I really agree. I‘m not into most poetry but I own several Billy Collins books. 6y
scowler1 Time is a construct
No future or past exist
There is only now
6y
Eggs @scowler Truth 6y
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Eggs
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Amusing. Some I liked better than others.

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KadeLexical
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“Imagining what the weather will be like, on the day following your death, has a place on that list of things”

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Lcsmcat
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Continuing with Billy Collins on this rainy day. #☔️ #emojiNov @RealLifeReading

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Lcsmcat
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Often when I read a prompt for one of these challenges I immediately think of the perfect book, and then can't find it on my shelves. Usually I pull a photo off the internet, and the next day find the book, right where it belongs. But this time it was Billy Collins that was missing, so after normal looking I literally went spine by spine across all my shelves until I found it. Does this happen to anyone else? #rain #jubilantJuly @RealLifeReading

MayJasper Oh yes 7y
LauraBrook Most days. 7y
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Malenaramsey
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Pickpick

I picked up this book because Billy Collins is, in my opinion, one of the best writers of all time. So you could tell how excited I was when I found a signed copy in my local Barnes and Noble (excited enough I slightly cried in the middle of the store.) The writing in this book is beautiful and insightful and it is all together a wonderful and fun read.

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SharonGoforth
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More Billy Collins tonight. This is from the poem "Dream Life". In this one, Poetry is a seamstress. I'm loving this collection ?. #LitsyPoetry365

mcipher Thanks for allowing me to read a poem every day, too - this is awesome. I forget on my mown how much I ❤️ poetry! 8y
SharonGoforth @mcipher You are more than welcome!! I'm so glad you're enjoying it 😊. So far this has been an incredible experience for me-I'm learning so much from you and everyone who is participating!! I'm really loving the poetry, too 💕 8y
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SharonGoforth
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too long, it's pretty much curtains for us all.

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I wasn't able to get the entire poem on here, but I'm loving how in this collection, Billy Collins takes something ordinary, makes it into something extraordinary, then gives it back to the reader like a gift.

I tried to find this poem online, but the collection must be too recent. Do check it out if you can (I found it on Overdrive) - it's very good! #LitsyPoetry365

mcipher I love Billy Collins!! He's awesome. He's got this matter-of-fact writing style that just works so well. 8y
SharonGoforth @mcipher This is the first time I've read any of his poetry, but it certainly won't be the last! It's like he's having a private conversation with you. I love that!! 8y
mcipher @SharonGoforth Yes!! And they are just such cool little slices of life. He's got one, Dharma, about his dog that I just love, and another about the him that didn't turn around to get his book before he left the house... (it makes more sense if you read the poem)... just great stuff. 8y
saresmoore 8y
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PatienceFortitude
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Pickpick

May be my favorite poet ever

ReadingEnvy He's so great 8y
Booksnob I love him too. I'm reading Aimless Love by Collins right now. A poem a day. 8y
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karenna
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Pickpick

Billy Collins is a great poet to try even if you think poetry is not your genre. His unique blend of humor and introspection, apparent in this collection, offers something for everyone.

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Alena
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My wonderful husband, who first introduced me to Billy Collins, bought me his new collection for my birthday. This poem stopped me in my tracks. I've read it over and over again.

Blueberry Wasn't he the national poet laureate a few years back? 8y
Alena He was @blueberry, and incredibly deserving. But 20 years ago, I'd never heard of him. 8y
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CarolynOliver
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#bookmail So looking forward to a few calm minutes with this book. #poetry

Broke_Girl_Reads Love Billy Collins! 8y
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utterKATEness
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Pickpick

I stopped into the campus bookstore today in order to get out of the cold and happened upon this new release. I can't believe I didn't know Billy Collins published a new book of poems! Anyway, like the poor university student I am, I read the whole collection in the store. These poems do not disappoint. They embody everything I adore about Collins- and some new things to love, too! #poetry

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Lcsmcat
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Quellelove
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Aczimprich
Rain in Portugal: Poems | Billy Collins
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So I'm trying to think of something awesome to say when I get to meet Billy Collins tomorrow. Thinking of: I love all of your work but my favorite was your appearance on PBSs Martha Speaks -- or -- you are to poetry as cat videos are to YouTube. Too weird?! 😜 So terrifically excited!