Flowers For Socrates

April 26, 1785 – John James Audubon is born, American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter best know for his extensive studies of American birds and his detailed illustrations of the birds in their natural habitats. The Birds of America is his masterwork, a portal into the natural world. Printed between 1827 and 1838, it contains 435 life-size watercolors of North American birds (in the Havell edition), all reproduced from hand-engraved plates, and is considered to be the archetype of wildlife illustration.

Billy Collins (March 22, 1941 – ) was dubbed “the most popular poet in America” by Bruce Weber in the New York Times. He served a two-term U.S. Poet Laureate (2001-2003), and has published many poetry collections, including Questions About Angels; The Art of Drowning; and Nine Horses: Poems. It was Questions About Angels, published in 1991, that put him in the literary spotlight. Collins is the editor of Bright Wings: An Illustrated Anthology of Poems About Birds.   

There is no question that Audubon’s work gave humanity a greater understanding and appreciation for the extraordinary variety and beauty of birds, but Billy Collins reminds us of how Audubon was able to create his incredibly detailed studies.  

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To read “The Birds of America” by Billy Collins, please click:

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