Billy Collins, “the poet laureate of the United States, who lives in an antique farmhouse in Somers” (Foderaro, 2003) has been dubbed “the most popular poet in America” by the New York Times (Poetry Foundation, 2013). Of his many, many poems, perhaps one of the poems that resonates the most in readers is “Days” published in 1994; each of his free verse poems, of which “Days” is one, all discuss some aspect of daily life, which is in part what makes them so poignant. “Days” works to advise all individuals, both young and old, to live each day, truly live, instead of exist, discussing how each and every day should be appreciated for what it is and what it holds, and that nothing should be taken for granted; through an analysis of the poem, it will be possible to see how Collins works to convey this theme through the use of symbolism, imagery, similes, and metaphor.
“Each one is a gift, no doubt” (line 1) Collins tells his reader, stressing the importance of understanding that each and every day is not guaranteed. He uses imagery to describe the fact that days are not guaranteed; that, like a present, a person never knows what it may hold until it is opened, until it is experienced. Until that present is physically placed in an individual’s hand they will never be sure of receiving it, and as such, until “moments before you open your eyes” (Collins, line 4) neither is each day.
Collins goes on to discuss how past affects present and how one day leads to the next as he says that “this day might be resting somehow, on the one before it” (Collins, lines 12-13). The reader is able to imagine days stacked one on top of another, like a giant tower of blocks, each day serving to shape the creation of the tower, each day made possible by the one before it, for good or ill, “all the days of the past stacked high” (Collins, line 14).
Collins moves on to use simile to convey the next meaning, stating that each day stacked high is “like the impossible tower of dishes entertainers used to build on stage” (lines 15-16). Through these two simple lines Collins is able to use both simile and the imagery conveyed by the simile itself to be able to describe how precarious life actually is, and how it could come crashing down at any moment, ending that teetering tower at any time.
Collins opts to switch from a simile to a metaphor, telling the reader, “No wonder you find yourself perched on the top of a tall ladder hoping to add one more. Just another Wednesday” (Collins, lines 17-20). Instead of seeing the days of their life as a tower of blocks, or a teetering tower of dishes, the reader now pictures their life as a ladder, with each day a different rung on the ladder. The person whose life it is climbs higher and higher, day by day, getting older with each and every step, and with every step they hope that there is “just another Wednesday” (Collins, line 20), just one more day, that life could go on just a little bit longer in order that a person would be able to experience just a bit more than they already have, be with those they love just a little longer, experience one more sunrise.
With the hope for “just another Wednesday” (Collins, line 20), the poem reverts to the simile provided, as the person “place(s) this cup on yesterday’s saucer without the slightest clink” (Collins, lines 23-24), indicating that they were successful in gaining just one more day, this time at least, and that the tower of dishes that makes up the days of that individual’s life are still holding strong, still in place.
It is believed by some that this poem speaks primarily to those who are old, or those who are sick, because they are the ones that are hoping the hardest for just that one more day. It may be argued that this is not the case; it is not those who are older or who are sick who are able to take the most away from Collin’s poem. The message of this poem, that each and every day should be appreciated for what it is and what it holds, and that nothing should be taken for granted, is not for all the elderly, nor is it for all the sick. It is for those who hope; those who, for one reason or another, long to have one more day, and it is a written symbol of that hope.
This poem is for the elderly who wish to keep experiencing life, those who have not yet given up. It is for those who have a chance of getting better, if ill; who do not go day to day in excruciating pain with no chance of relief. It is for the young woman in love who cannot begin to imagine what life would be like if her love were to die tomorrow, or for the young father who cannot wait to see what the next day has in store in watching his daughter grow. It is for the teenager who is about to embark on their college journey, or for the band whose first gig is tomorrow.
This poem, through its imagery, symbolism, simile, and metaphor, works to speak to each and every individual who reads it, resonating within the mind and within the heart. The hope in the poem speaks to the hope in each and every individual, looking for “just another Wednesday” (Collins, line 20) that will allow them to see what the next day holds, either because there is hope that something will get better, or something good will continue. Any individual, regardless of their age, as long as they have hope for tomorrow will be able to understand the full depth of the poem itself, realizing that each day is not a given, and because of this each day that is received should be cherished for the “gift” (Collins, line 1) that it is.
