The following version of this poem was used to create this guide: Collins, Billy. “Irish Poetry.” Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/48662/irish-poetry.

Note that all parenthetical citations within the guide refer to the lines of the poem from which the quotations are taken.

“Irish Poetry” is a 21-line free-verse satire by former American poet Laureate Billy Collins, known for his dry humor and subversion of traditional forms and structures. In “Irish Poetry,” Collins mimics the lyrical language of poetry from this literary country, drawing particular influence from the work of former Irish poet laureate Seamus Heaney. Collins and Heaney did cross paths over the course of their career, including leading a joint reading in Ireland in 2008, and both have been considered wildly influential in bringing more accessible poetry to a new generation.