"Litany" response

In the poem "Litany", I believe that Billy Collins is commenting on a love gone bad in a humorous and entertaining way. It is clear that he is not regarding a current love when he states "maybe even the pigeon on the general's head" comparing his object of attention to a bird which is defecating on a statue. It is neither flattering nor humorous to be compared to feces, and so it is apparent that Billy Collins is in no way seeking to flatter his subject of interest. This poet also uses his poem in order to show his audience the stupidity of the nonsensical language which is commonly present in poems of this nature. Shakespearean-like sonnets and other poems from that time period seek to flatter women by comparing them to nonsensical things in order to metaphorically describe their beauty. When Billy Collins shows these outrageous comparisons in a humorous light it becomes easy to see the absurdity of this concept. It is outrageous to think that girls actually fell for these half-witted compliments and less than genuine comparisons in their time.

In my opinion "Litany" is a very successful poem. It easily expresses its opinion on the poems which it is intended to mock with use of absurd comparisons and overly flowery language. He mimicks his object of mockery almost flawlessly, while adding an element of bitterness and humor. Billy Collins not only makes his audience laugh during the poem, but also shows us how poetry has evolved and reiterates the absurdity of the poetic language that was utilized by poets of the past.