The Blues - Billy Collins

Much of what is said here
must be said twice,
a reminder that no one
takes an immediate interest in the pain of others.

Nobody will listen, it would seem,
if you simply admit
your baby left you early this morning
she didn't even stop to say good-bye.

But if you sing it again
with the help of the band
which will now lift you to a higher,
more ardent, and beseeching key,

people will not only listen,
they will shift to the sympathetic
edges of their chairs,
moved to such acute anticipation

by that chord and the delay that follows,
they will not be able to sleep
unless you release with one finger
a scream from the throat of your guitar

and turn your head back to the microphone
to let them know
you're a hard-hearted man
but that woman's sure going to make you cry.

 

The poem "The blues" Billy Collins uses the genre of music known as blues to express his feelings and it gives an insight to the readers about his personal relationship. Billy Collins conveys that repetition is a part of a blues it can be evident when he says "much of what is said here must be said twice" it portrays how people will only listen to someone's problems and feel his or her pain if its repeated twice. He also explain how people will definitely listen if "you sing it again with the help of the band". It conveys how people don't care about people's feelings "no one takes an immediate interest in the pain of others" and music is seen to be a way especially blues to express ones felling it can be pain, love and sufferings. It shows how we are too frequently caught up with different business in our everyday life to be too concerned about pain and feelings of those around us.  It is said that the blues "have been and always will be a stark reminder of the pain and sufferings in the world"  so one has to use music as a way to be listened by the society.

Billy Collins considered using  four lines in each stanza and  a blue song always has four lines in a verse this shows how the they have the same structure. And the lyrics are of like a blue song because they talk about love and pain. B.B kings says "that's why I sing the blues" because he believes that everybody gets the blues. The poem is secured with humor and captures the essence of blues.