"What I Learned Today" by Billy Collins

“What I Learned Today” by Billy Collins

I had never heard of John Bernard Flannagan,
American sculptor,
until I found him on page 961
of the single-volume encyclopedia I have been reading
at the rate of one page each day.
He was so poor, according to the entry
he could not afford the good, quarried marble
and instead had to carve animals
out of the fieldstones he gathered
until he committed suicide in 1942,
the year, I can’t help thinking, I turned one.

Of course, I know what flannel is,
but that French flannel is napped on only one side
is new to me and a reminder that
no matter what size the aquarium of one’s learning,
another colored pebble can always be dropped in.

Tonight a fog blows by the windows,

and a mist falls through the porch lights
as my index finger descends from flat-coated retriever
to flatfish, those sideways creatures—
turbot, plaice, flounder, sole—
all swimming through the dark with close-set eyes,
toothless, twisted mouths,
and a preference for warm, shallow water.

Although I have read Billy Collins's "Aristotle" numerous times prior to this year, it had never resonated with me until this year, and I wanted to delve deeper into Collins's poetry. His writing style is unique as it often tells a story in free verse that illustrates a greater meaning about life. When I first read this poem, I was unsure how to perceive his message and where to begin. However, after analyzing the structure of the poem as a whole as well as each stanza, his message became apparent.

Each stanza is composed of either one or two sentences. The first stanza varies from the last two in that it has a reverse order. The tone is somewhat melancholy but mostly light-spirited until the narrator explores the life of Flannagan. Collins's use of contrast in tone from the relatively uplifting tone to the slower rhythm, denoted by commas at the end of the stanza, reflects the cycle of life and that even though one might be suffering, another is happy and vise versa.

The last two stanzas follow a similar format in that the first part of the stanza, the last two lines for stanza two and the last line for stanza three, both portray a sense of hope. Preceding the last two lines in stanza three is a dilemma in which the narrator is faced: the idea of confusion mixing with understanding. The audience can sense the narrator's confusion as well as confidence in overcoming this misunderstanding of the "French flannel." He clearly points out that we each have space to grow; the colored pebble symbolizes this analogy. Another point of view from an outside source can be beneficial to one's overall understanding of ideas. On the other hand, the third stanza has a more ominous to it as it depicts dreary weather. The imagery used to paint this scene reminds me of the opening scene from "The Wizard of Oz" where it is dull and dusty until a storm brews. Most of this stanza is an asyndeton, and this stanza is one sentence. Collins utilizes the continuous flow of this paragraph to mimic that of the water as well as keep the reader enthralled to figure out this bizarre transformation from weather to ugly fish. Ultimately, the key to acceptance lies in the last paragraph. While obstacles might be placed in front of us and physically have varying attributes, we cannot ostracize or push those aside who vary from us. These awkward and gruesomely described fish would seemingly leave in the deep waters where they would not be disturbed on the ocean floor, yet they find their habitat on the shallow floor, which is often encompassed by many other species.

Collins's unique story-like style captivates his readers. The constant use of commas creates an asyndeton structure that also resembles one's train of thought as well as change in tone. As a whole, the poem starts and ends with a reflective tone that encourages the audience to contemplate our placement in society.