Forgetfulness - Billy Collins Animated Poetry
Uploaded by: smjwt
Video Description:
View poetry in an entirely new and innovative way. Billy Collins, former US Poet Laureate and one of America's best-selling poets, reads his poem "Forgetfulness" with animation by Julian Grey of Headgear.
Noted for their intelligent humor, accessibility and observations on daily life, Collins' popular poems come alive further in a series of animated poems produced by JWT-NY.
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The Poem - The name of the author is the first to go followed obediently by the title, the plot, the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel which suddenly becomes one you have never read, never even heard of, as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain, to a little fishing village where there are no phones. Long ago you kissed the names of the nine Muses goodbye and watched the quadratic equation pack its bag, and even now as you memorize the order of the planets, something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps, the address of an uncle, the capital of Paraguay. Whatever it is you are struggling to remember, it is not poised on the tip of your tongue, not even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen. It has floated away down a dark mythological river whose name begins with an L as far as you can recall, well on your own way to oblivion where you will join those who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a bicycle. No wonder you rise in the middle of the night to look up the date of a famous battle in a book on war. No wonder the moon in the window seems to have drifted out of a love poem that you used to know by heart.
Tags for this video: animation Billy Collins forget forgetting JWT laureat NY poet poetry
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| Billy Collins - "The Lanyard" | The Best Cigarette | The Country - Billy Collins Animated Poetry |
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| Some Days | Billy Collins - "Litany" | Walking Across the Atlantic |
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I am nerd at school for reading and enjoying poems like this. The kids are amazing, they actually have the nerve to ask me, "why do you read?" I might as well ask them, "why do you watch television?" To me, reading is my television. I can easily depict Billy Collins' poems in my head. I reccomend his poem "Aimless Love." I absolutely love it.
The official programm of ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival 2008 is online!
Look forward to special programs like "Focus low" (Films from Netherland and Belgium) or Focus USA.
I believe this poem is about losing yourself and finding a name for yourself.
(made me cry - but im still a man :)