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Billy Collins Teaches Poetry MasterClass — Is It Worth It?
A review of Billy Collins Teaches Reading and Writing Poetry Masterclass
Can You Really Learn Poetry from America’s Most Popular Poet?
What’s your favorite way to improve your poetry? Books? Workshops? YouTube tutorials? If you’re like me, you’ve probably tried a mix of everything, with varying degrees of success. My initial reaction to online courses was more W.T.F than W.O.W. How could watching videos possibly compare to the intimate experience of a real poetry workshop?
But when I discovered that Billy Collins — former U.S. Poet Laureate and one of the most accessible, beloved poets of our time — was teaching a MasterClass, my curiosity got the better of me. Could the man known as “the most popular poet in America” translate his genius into effective teaching through a screen?
Who is Billy Collins, Anyway?
If you’re not familiar with Billy Collins, you’re in for a treat. He served as U.S. Poet Laureate from 2001 to 2003 and is known for his conversational, witty, and surprisingly deep poems that connect with readers…

