Analysis Of The Poem Some Days By Billy Collins

Our society is a system in which people are ranked above one another due to status or authority. Every day, our opinions are influenced by the media, peers, and other hierarchical figures. The main message in Billy Collins’ poem, “Some Days,” is the power of manipulation, and how even though these hierarchical figures can have control over character and identity, they have the potential to be subjected to manipulation as well.
Using the analogy of a doll house, the speaker depicts himself playing with dolls, emphasizing how he is in control of the dolls and can make them do whatever he pleases. He states, “Some days I put the people in their places at the table / bend their legs at the knees / (...) and fix them into the tiny wooden chairs,” …show more content…
He first talks about being in control, describing the days in which he is “striding around like a vivid god” (17) to emphasize the glory and power that comes with asserting oneself . Gods are powerful people that decide the fate of those around them, and the term “striding” provides a sense of confidence and certainty. He follows this line by stating his feelings when he is out of control, saying that he could be “sitting down there amidst the wallpaper / staring straight ahead with your little plastic face” (19-20). This brings back the idea of being a doll, sitting with the other dolls and being under the control of another person. The usage of “staring straight ahead” implies the vacancy and vulnerability of the dolls, making them easy targets for manipulation and control. These dolls lack any thoughts of their own, an implication that people that are being controlled have a tendency to follow orders blindly. Though his contrasting statements about feeling god-like and feeling like a doll, he discusses how it feels to exist in this society. Though the speaker may come across authoritative and powerful in some situations, he can be intimidated and manipulated