Billy Collins - Peer Question Responses

Do you feel that cliche metaphors are ineffective at conveying strong meaning?

Not necessarily; if used in the right way a clichéd metaphor can work wonders for a piece, but the entire thing can’t be riddled with them.  If an entire poem or story is made up solely of the expected and overused, how could a reader possibly feel anything towards it?  It lacks creativity, or the key word: love.  It was as if a robot made the card on an assembly line; it just makes generic “lovey-dubby” terms to the mass at large.  

What gave you the idea to expand on the original poem? Was it that the original was inadequate or was it a sort of homage?

The Original poem was full of over-the-top statements and metaphors, resulting in a deadening, lifeless piece.  A revision of the poem was necessary because now people will know what works and doesn’t work in poetry.  Simply smacking down countless metaphors is not the way to win over a “special friend.”  Achieving your message, even if it’s through humor, as the revision did, will not work if only uninspiring analogies are present.

Do you feel that your poem is better than the original or are you solely trying to prove a point?

I think both of those things.  On one hand, the revised poem has much more life and personality, whereas the original felt oddly loveless.  The point to make here is that there isn’t a single way to write a love letter; bad poets don’t know this fact or chose not to acknowledge it. They go ahead to write meaningless comparisons that feel synthetic and dull.

Why do you think the original author chose these specific comparisons?

The original author chose these comparisons because they were easy to visualize and the objects he chose were full of beauty.  It was a quick and easy way to gratify the audience.  The bread and the knife, the dew on the grass: they are all easily definable things that most people consider “pretty.”  This is a cheap way out; instead of writing something actually meaningful, the writer just churns out a bunch of associations.

Do you think the person who originally made the poem thinks yours is better?

Somehow I doubt the original “poet” thinks the revised poem is better than his or her own.  I bet the man (or woman) who wrote it did so for some quick cash and doesn’t really care about real constructive criticism.  Hallmark and other card companies eat this stuff up, so he (or she) is probably doing well for his/herself.

Do you think the original author of the poem expressed his love honestly or was just spewing out what he thought would impress his lover?

This author’s work has nothing to do with “love.”  He wrote it thinking that the public would flock like birds to the card store and see this poem and buy it thinking that their significant other would be happy.  This poem wasn’t written for love, it was written for capital gain.