"Horoscopes for the Dead" by Billy Collins

103 pages

Collins, who was the United State Poet Laureate from 2001-2003, has always entertained me, but I was a little bit disappointed with this collection. He's still accessible and writes poems that are funny and simple but still meaningful. I appreciate that, because a lot of poetry is over my head and I just don't "get" it. "Horoscopes for the Dead," however, maybe goes too far with the simplicity. There just weren't as many poems that stood out to me and made me think as there are in the other collections of his that I've read. Nevertheless, there are a few really good ones. The title poem is one of my favorites. It's one of the more thoughtful, somber ones...and then you turn the page and find "Hell," a humorous one that compares hell to shopping for a mattress at the mall. I like the way that he mixes it up like that; the contrast makes the emotions feel more intense. The collection was definitely worth reading, but I don't think it's Collins' best work and I hope he rebounds with the next book.