Adolescence Quote by Billy Collins
“I was influenced by the Beats because I actually just began to commit adolescence around 1955, when "Howl" and Rebel Without a Cause and a lot of other new things were popping up. (Again I'm trying to give you a finite version of this career.) And then I came under the sway of Wallace Stevens when I was in college and graduate school, and basically set as a life goal the ambition of writing third-rate Wallace Stevens. I thought I would be completely content if I was recognized at some later point in my life as a third-rate Wallace Stevens.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Poetry Foundation, 2005
The speaker describes how the Beat movement and later Wallace Stevens shaped his poetic ambition, aiming for a modest, self‑aware mastery.
In simple terms: He was inspired by Beats, then aimed to emulate Wallace Stevens modestly.
Key Takeaway
Embrace influences while defining your own realistic goals.
Themes
inspiration
literary influence
humility
Mood
thoughtful
introspective
Type
literary
personal growth
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- college literature classes
- personal essays
Key Concepts
poetry
career development
self‑identity
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “third‑rate” mean to you?
- How can you balance admiration with originality?
A Different Perspective
Aiming for “third‑rate” may limit growth if taken too literally.
![“I remember realizing, when I did Little Women [1994], that that was the only time girls that age were being written about. It was always boys - from David Copperfield to Lord of the Flies to Holden Caulfield. There were never young women going through adolescence or teen years; there were only…” quote by Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/666/winona-ryder-1469_adolescence_i-remember-realizing-when-i-did-little-w_41784.jpg)