I’m a fan of poetry animations. The well done ones are superb. They don’t take over the poem but appear much rather as if the poem took them over and evoked an uncontrollable response from the emotions such as one might give when tickled by a length of flowering grass on a summer’s day; or the shiver of delight one gets from a long overdue mouthful of one’s favourite food. I for one would be very happy to have any of my poems animated. 
Billy Collins, well known and much loved American poet, (see recent photo to the left taken at Emmerson College, USA) apparently was not so convinced. He describes the mixing of those two media “as a sort of unnatural and unnecessary act” ‘I was initially resistant,’ he says because I always think poems should stand by themselves. I’m so glad he allowed it to happen. You can watch and listen to Billy Collins himself as he presents some of these animations in this Ted Talk, Everyday Moments Caught in Time
Just to tempt you here is the first verse of one of the poems animated. All the poems are full of his dry sense of fun and and the brilliance of his perception and human understanding.
Forgetfulness
If you don’t know who Billy Collins is, here is a recent bio: Billy Collins is an American phenomenon. No poet since Robert Frost has managed to combine high critical acclaim with such broad popular appeal. His work has appeared in a variety of periodicals including The New Yorker, The Paris Review, and The American Scholar. He is a Guggenheim fellow and a New York Public Library Literary Lion. To read more go here
Please note that my blog is presently in a state of change…reorganisation which may continue for some time but there is no building involved, no ladders or piles of wood to trip you up as you pass though…just a need for patience and your continued support. Of course the occasional appreciative comment always helps!
gurglewords 