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That Was Now This Is Then: A Poetic Journey Through Time and Memory

E.M. Forster

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Billy Collins's 2005 collection of poems, That Was Now This Is Then, is a meditation on time, memory, and the bittersweet changes that life brings. Collins uses vivid imagery and evocative language to explore the ways in which the past shapes our present and how the present inevitably becomes the past.

That Was Now, This Is Then: Poems

by Vijay Seshadri

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1461 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	74 pages

The book is divided into four sections, each of which focuses on a different aspect of time. The first section, "That Was," is a collection of poems that look back on the past, from the distant past of childhood to the more recent past of love and loss. The second section, "Now," explores the present moment, with all its joys and sorrows. The third section, "This Is," focuses on the future, and the ways in which we can shape it through our actions and choices. The fourth section, "Then," is a collection of poems that reflect on the nature of time itself, and its power to both heal and destroy.

Throughout the book, Collins uses a variety of poetic techniques to create a sense of time and place. He uses flashbacks and flashforwards to move seamlessly between the past, present, and future. He also uses vivid imagery to create a strong sense of place, whether he is writing about the childhood home of his parents or the New York City apartment where he now lives with his wife.

Collins's poems are not only personal, but also universal. He writes about the experiences that we all share, such as the loss of a loved one, the birth of a child, and the simple joys of everyday life. His poems are both heartbreaking and heartwarming, and they remind us that even though time is always moving forward, the memories of our past and the hopes for our future are always with us.

Here is a selection of poems from That Was Now This Is Then:

"The Trouble with Poetry" is a poem about the challenges of writing poetry, and the ways in which poetry can both capture and distort the truth.
"The Lanyard" is a poem about the relationship between a father and son, and the ways in which love can both bind us and set us free.
"Picnic, Lightning" is a poem about a family picnic that is interrupted by a lightning storm, and the ways in which nature can both awe us and frighten us.
"Elegy for a Dead Cat" is a poem about the death of a beloved pet, and the ways in which grief can both hurt and heal us.

That Was Now This Is Then is a beautiful and thought-provoking collection of poems that explores the themes of time, memory, and change. Collins's vivid imagery and evocative language create a strong sense of time and place, and his poems are both personal and universal. This is a book that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

That Was Now, This Is Then: Poems

by Vijay Seshadri

4.5 out of 5