The Introduction: The Author’s Humorous Tone
First of all, I would like to point out that the poem Schoolsville reminded me of my own school life. Of course, it is obvious, that the writer Billy Collins used expressive language devices to impress the readers. In other words, his speech is really humorous and leaves a positive impression. Some characters of the poem are interesting and exciting, as they provoke various memories. For instance, the poet’s description of the girl who signed her papers in lipstick is so vivid and unusual, that all the readers can understand the purpose of the hyperbola Collins relied on. Thus, the author just wanted to show that for some characters the issues, which are related to numerous external things and appearance are much more important than the process of study. On the other hand, I would like to point out that humorous tone of the poem determines the truth of the author’s words. In this case, one can make a conclusion that a feeling of hopelessness is recognized to be the key idea of the poet’s work.
The Thesis Statement
In spite of the fact, that the author’s descriptions are really funny, their estimated values are considered to be mostly negative. That’s why I was surprised to find such contradictions in the work. So, on the one hand, the poet’s tone is playful and leaves a positive feeling; on the other hand, his evaluations give you something to think about.
The Body: The Key Themes Of The Author’s Poem
The author states that the girl is brushing her hair like a machine; the comparison the author provides his readers with makes me to be deep in thought. In my opinion, the phrase like a machine means that the girl has no feeling or emotions concerning her future. In other words, for the girl, at the stage of her life nothing is important, but appearance. That’s a pity.
Generally, I fully agree with the author’s opinion about the primary aims of his characters. Of course, the description is closely related to the reality and nobody will deny the fact. “The A’s stroll along with other A’s. The D’s honk whenever they pass another D” (Collins 1). I would like to call it a reality of life.
Although the poem can arouse the readers’ interest as well as remind them of some past events, some readers are to know literate persons to understand what the poet is talking about in his work. In this case, the readers will understand the meaning of the following lines: “But the boy who always had his hand up, is an alderman and owns the haberdashery” (Collins 1). I would like to point out the words alderman and haberdashery.
The Conclusion: To Judge Or Not To Judge?
To my mind, in the poem Schoolsville, the author describes his own approach towards the teaching profession. Billy Collins has an experience and shares the experience with his readers. I suppose that Collins relies on humorous method to ease the emotions his memories provoke. Unfortunately, the poet is focused on negative connotations, and that is the issue I rely on to explain his feeling of the hopelessness. Anyway, nobody can judge him, but support. In my opinion, the person who knows the realities of the collegiate life is always right. Moreover, one is to keep in mind the author’s knowledge of life.
Works Cited:
Collins, Billy. Schoolsville, 2005. Web.