Billy Collins: Two poems about what dogs think (probably)

What must our dogs be thinking when they look at us? Poet Billy Collins imagines the inner lives of two very different companions. It's a charming short talk, perfect for taking a break and dreaming ...

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[ngelo]

What an eerie yet cute perspective on the human condition, my favorite line was
"I resented the way your moved, your lack of animal grace"

[alwaysuseless]

Reading the comments, I see some people have no appreciation for anthropomorphizing & somewhat whimsical humor. Yes, we must always be serious & literally accurate. Especially poetry should not be allowed to be funny or contradict our assumptions, including about what animals "think of us." These poems were as much about people as about dogs, & as such, were right on target. That's why they're funny. One of my favorite Billy Collins poems about a dog is called "Dharma." See The Best American Poetry 1999. I bet the negative critics won't bother, because they don't actually read or like good poetry. Well done, Mr. Collins. Thank you.

[KailynDekker]

Billy Collins is one of the most acclaimed poets of our time. It was nice to hear him read instead of reading his text. :D

[velvetunderpants]

The last line of the first poem is like a knife in my heart.

[DEO]

Here's what ALL dogs think:  That human gives me food, I won't bite him, I will wag my tail. That human doesn't give me food, I'll take a nap.

[amandatrayes]

I've heard him read live twice. He's just wonderful.

[Jayf]

My dog Bash, is 3 and full of life. He's good. Seriously this guy makes me laugh nearly every day and I can tell he enjoys it. I'm not sure what that say's about him or me but I sure am grateful and I enjoy making him happy. Bash, is good people. He's informed by more than instinct and experience it seems.

[alwaysuseless]

"... that everyone here can read and write
the dogs in poetry, the cats
and all the others in prose."
Haha, nice dig at the dominance of prose and at cats & humans, and a claim of superiority for poetry & dogs—consistent with the conceit that the poem was written by a dog. Love his poems that take you to a place by the end that is unexpected or says more than the topic originally suggested.

[patrickvitullo]

Very good stuff and he's a master of couching a serious subject in himor.

[Nunekhiia]

I loved this! I love dogs so much haha I've thought of not poems but mini ideas for short films. x)

[korifinity]

Billy Collins-
Dogs-
Where The Red Fern Grows...

[Phelan]

My dog thinks the brush is a torture device.

[BoTyDogs]

hmmm made me think^^, for me dogs are like us people..

[ShawnRavenfire]

The second dog sounds more like a cat.

[dreaminginnoother]

Here's what I imagine most dogs think "OH HI! How are you, hi! Let's be friends, wanna be friends? We're friends. Hey what's that over there? Wanna go on a walk?  Wanna give me food?  Oh, what's that there?"

[ColdFusionDogBob]

Thats two poems of what humans would think if they where dogs.

[ds]

I think the comments reveal exactly what Billy is observing within the poems. beautifully juxtaposed against each other - critiquing humans’ self aggrandizement. doesn’t matter what dogs think - the irony is that everyone in the comments think they know better than anyone else, including Billy, including dogs themselves

[BrianDornTFP]

If the poems were about cats, there would probably be more rhyming.

[Sinezungu]

That second dog is a cat in disguise, trying to give dogs a bad name...

[BrickTamlandOfficial]

this is sadder than the sarah mclaughlin commercials