"The Man in the Moon" Billy Collins

"The Man in the Moon" by Billy Collins explains that, as a child, Collins was frightened of the man in the moon, which is a face seen in typically a full moon, if one looks close enough. This human like face scared Collins as a young boy, It was something he had never seen before and was not used to, which created a feeling of insecurity. However, as he got older, Collins' perception upon the man in the moon changed, this is described in the ending lines of the poem. Old memories are brought back, he realizes that the man in the moon is actually his friend. Collins seeks out the man in the moon as he is travelling through the dark mountains. The man in the moon is there for him in his time of need. Collins perspective of the man in the moon transforms from a scared and uneasy mindset, into almost a friendship, that he is grateful for.

As a child, I would feel weird when my parents looked over my every move, always keeping their eyes on me. It created a frustration that I did not quite fully understand. But as I got older, I started to realize more of what the actual point of that was. My parents did not want me to feel uncomfortable, they were just doing their job. Now as a young adult, I can appreciate not only my parents more, but a lot of other things in the world. It is comforting to know that my parents will always be there to guide me when I am in need, just as the man in the moon was there to guide Collins in his dark journey. Peoples' perception of things change throughout their lives, which ties into maturity and age. Just as Collins perception and appreciation evolved into something completely different as an adult in contrast to his childhood.