There were a ...
... the soft grass,
though I would ...
... to another country.
Then later, I ...
... waiting for rain.
How mysterious, how ...
... of the afternoon.
But every once ...
... an apple with
and walk across ...
... a long spear.
Yes, it sounded ...
... laboring upward
laboring upward as ...
... her gaping mouth.
Then I knew ...
... the blue bay,
while she regarded ...
... wild, shocking eye.
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
Animal Poems — A "greatest hits" of poetry that takes animals as its initial subject matter.
Collins Reads the Poem — A 2008 reading of "Afternoon with Irish Cows" by the poet himself.
Collins in the Paris Review — An interview with Billy Collins shortly after he was appointed poet laureate to the Library of Congress.
Collins's Bio and More Poems — A valuable resource from the Poetry Foundation on Collins's life and work.
Ten Unusual Facts about Cows — There's a lot to learn about these fascinating creatures!