'Nostalgia' by Billy Collins
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Remember the 1340's? We were doing a dance called the Catapult.
You always wore brown, the color craze of the decade,
and I was draped in one of those capes that were popular,
the ones with unicorns and pomegranates in needlework.
Everyone would pause for beer and onions in the afternoon,
and at night we would play a game called "Find the Cow."
Everything was hand-lettered then, not like today.
Where has the summer of 1572 gone? Brocade and sonnet
marathons were the rage. We used to dress up in the flags
of rival baronies and conquer one another in cold rooms of stone.
Out on the dance floor we were all doing the Struggle
while your sister practiced the Daphne all alone in her room.
We borrowed the jargon of farriers for our slang.
These days language seems transparent a badly broken code.
The 1790's will never come again. Childhood was big.
People would take walks to the very tops of hills
and write down what they saw in their journals without speaking.
Our collars were high and our hats were extremely soft.
We would surprise each other with alphabets made of twigs.
It was a wonderful time to be alive, or even dead.
I am very fond of the period between 1815 and 1821.
Europe trembled while we sat still for our portraits.
And I would love to return to 1901 if only for a moment,
time enough to wind up a music box and do a few dance steps,
or shoot me back to 1922 or 1941, or at least let me
recapture the serenity of last month when we picked
berries and glided through afternoons in a canoe.
Even this morning would be an improvement over the present.
I was in the garden then, surrounded by the hum of bees
and the Latin names of flowers, watching the early light
flash off the slanted windows of the greenhouse
and silver the limbs on the rows of dark hemlocks.
As usual, I was thinking about the moments of the past,
letting my memory rush over them like water
rushing over the stones on the bottom of a stream.
I was even thinking a little about the future, that place
where people are doing a dance we cannot imagine,
a dance whose name we can only guess.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Nostalgia: A Masterpiece of Poetry
When you read a poem, you expect to feel something. You want the words to stir up emotions, take you on a journey, make you think. And when it comes to Billy Collins' "Nostalgia," it does all of that and more. This poem is a masterpiece of poetry, full of rich imagery, poignant themes, and an emotion that resonates long after you've finished reading.
The Beauty of Nostalgia
First, let's talk about the title: "Nostalgia." What a beautiful word. It immediately conjures up images of a simpler time, a happier time, a time when things were just...better. And that's exactly what this poem is about: the beauty of nostalgia. Collins takes us on a journey back to his childhood, his memories of summer days spent in the park, of baseball games and hot dogs, of friendships that seemed like they would last forever. He paints a picture of a time and place that we all long for, even if we never experienced it ourselves.
The Power of Memory
But "Nostalgia" is more than just a walk down memory lane. It's a meditation on the power of memory itself, on how our memories shape who we are and how we see the world. Collins writes, "Longing, we say, because desire is full / of endless distances." This line perfectly captures the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia, the way we yearn for something that we know we can never truly have again. And yet, as Collins points out, that distance is what makes our memories so powerful, so full of meaning.
The Universality of Experience
Another thing I love about "Nostalgia" is how universal it is. Even if you didn't grow up in the same time or place as Collins, you can still relate to what he's saying. We've all experienced the joy of a summer day, the sadness of saying goodbye to a friend, the longing for something that we know we can never have again. This poem speaks to the human experience in a way that few others can.
The Mastery of Language
Of course, none of this would matter if Collins wasn't such a masterful poet. And he is. The language in "Nostalgia" is so rich, so evocative, that you can't help but be swept away by it. From the "sloping lawns" and "sudden rains" of the park, to the "popping of the cork" and "the smell of newly cut grass," every word is carefully chosen to create a vivid, sensory experience. And yet, despite the beauty of the language, there's a simplicity to it as well, a directness that makes the poem accessible to anyone.
The Poem as a Work of Art
In the end, what makes "Nostalgia" such a masterpiece is how it works as a whole. Every line, every word, every image, is perfectly crafted to create a complete and cohesive work of art. As you read it, you feel like you're being taken on a journey, a journey that's both personal and universal, that's both joyful and nostalgic. And when you reach the end, you feel like you've been changed in some way, like you've seen something new and beautiful about the world.
Conclusion
"Nostalgia" is a poem that stays with you long after you've finished reading it. It's a poem that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human, to long for something that we know we can never have again, and to find beauty in that longing. Billy Collins has created a masterpiece of poetry, one that will be remembered and cherished for generations to come.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Nostalgia: A Poem that Takes You Back in Time
Billy Collins, the former Poet Laureate of the United States, is known for his witty and accessible poetry that often explores the mundane aspects of everyday life. In his poem "Nostalgia," Collins takes us on a journey through time, exploring the bittersweet feelings of longing for the past.
The poem begins with a simple image: a man sitting on a porch, watching the sun go down. The man is described as "older," and we get the sense that he has lived a long and full life. As he sits there, watching the sunset, he begins to feel a sense of nostalgia for the past.
Collins describes this feeling of nostalgia as a "disease," something that infects us and makes us long for a time that we can never return to. He writes:
"It is the disease of a nation, they say, to become nostalgic about a past that never existed except in a national belief in a golden age that always lay ahead of us."
Here, Collins is commenting on the idea that many people have of a "golden age" in the past, a time when things were simpler and better. He suggests that this idea is a myth, something that we have created in our minds to make us feel better about the present.
Despite this, Collins acknowledges that the feeling of nostalgia is a powerful one, something that can transport us back in time and make us feel as though we are reliving a moment from our past. He writes:
"But what about the rest of us, who have no such moments to look back on? For whom the past is just a matter of dates, places, incidents that have long since lost their color, and the details of which nobody else agrees on."
Here, Collins is speaking to those of us who don't have a specific moment in our past that we long to return to. Instead, our memories are hazy and indistinct, and we can't quite remember the details of what happened. Despite this, Collins suggests that even these vague memories can be powerful, transporting us back in time and making us feel as though we are reliving a moment from our past.
Throughout the poem, Collins uses vivid imagery to describe the feeling of nostalgia. He writes:
"It is like a house you have built and lived in but now must leave."
Here, Collins is comparing the feeling of nostalgia to leaving a house that you have lived in for a long time. It's a bittersweet feeling, one that is filled with both sadness and joy. On the one hand, you are leaving behind something that was familiar and comfortable. On the other hand, you are embarking on a new adventure, one that is filled with excitement and possibility.
Collins also uses the image of a train to describe the feeling of nostalgia. He writes:
"It is like the train you catch at night, the one that pulls out of the station and travels through the countryside, and you sit there, staring out the window at the trees, the houses, the fields, and the faces of the people you will never know."
Here, Collins is suggesting that the feeling of nostalgia is like being on a train, traveling through time and space. As you look out the window, you see all of the things that you will never know or experience. It's a poignant image, one that captures the sense of loss that comes with the passage of time.
Despite the sadness that comes with nostalgia, Collins suggests that there is also something beautiful and valuable about it. He writes:
"But there is still the beauty of this world, the sunlight on the garden, the pearly light on the sea, the distant hills aflame with light, and the birds that sing in the trees."
Here, Collins is reminding us that even though we may long for the past, there is still beauty and wonder in the present. We just have to open our eyes and appreciate it.
In the final stanza of the poem, Collins returns to the image of the man sitting on the porch, watching the sunset. He writes:
"And the man sitting on the porch, listening to the distant cry of the steam whistle, a glass of lemonade at his elbow, will start to feel the nostalgic breath of the evening breeze, and the smile that creases his face will not be a smile of regret but a smile of reminiscence."
Here, Collins is suggesting that the feeling of nostalgia can be a positive one, something that brings a smile to our faces as we remember the good times from our past. It's a reminder that even though we can't go back in time, we can still cherish the memories that we have and appreciate the beauty of the present.
In conclusion, "Nostalgia" is a beautiful and poignant poem that captures the bittersweet feelings of longing for the past. Through vivid imagery and powerful language, Collins takes us on a journey through time, reminding us that even though we can't go back, we can still appreciate the memories that we have and find beauty in the present. It's a poem that speaks to the human experience, reminding us that we are all connected by our shared longing for the past and our hope for the future.
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