Going Beyond The Horizon

The poem “Fishing on the Susquehanna in July”, is a poem that creates a direct connection with the reader. The author is trying to illustrate how sometimes you have never done something that look interesting, because you are not used to it, but at the end it may attract you to do it. Billy Collins, author of the poem, uses literary elements and devices to demonstrate this point of view. 

First of all he uses imagery to show the reader the different scenarios that are proposed to the character. It starts describing the “a quiet room like this one--

a painting of a woman on the wall” (Collins). This quote shows the reader how our author is tranquil and artistic, not very interested in the out side activities. The author then continuous the poem describing the river and there is a moment where she connects her art with the lake. At this precise point the reader gets to a turn point in which Collins changes the small room into the big river. The author uses imagery to show the difference between these two environment and the characters reaction to it.

Afterwards, the reader notices how Collin uses a non-chalant tone to really connect the characters thoughts and behavior with the different scenes. During the whole poem Collins describes both places in a very casual way, giving it´s explanations of why the main character prefers one place over the other, or to say the reason why it prefers its house. The reader notices that the tone describes the character as a very casual and reasonable person that is comfortable with the things that are common for this person. Also, the reader may notice how this attitude towards the change of environment makes the reader think and consider. The author then uses tone to describe the scene as a casual and non-chalant moment.

Finally, the reader may notice how towards the end, Collins uses foreshadowing to take that character to the river and actually imagine himself over there. It is here where the protagonist opens his frontiers and sees beyond his normal comfort zone. The reader the notices Collins attempt to show how the human being may be comfortable with the thing they already know, but they sometimes have to go out of their normal schedules and experience new things. 

In conclusion. the reader may see how Collin uses literary elements such as imagery and tone to describe how people want to stay in their comfort zone because that is what they are accustomed to, but to be able to change and go beyond that zone, people have to see themselves outside that accustomed schedule.