An ancient Egyptian tells his life-story from the walls of his tomb, c. 1850 BC. Read by Barbara Ewing. Translated by Richard Bruce Parkinson Composed around 1850 BC, Sinuhe is the supreme masterpiece of ancient Egyptian poetry. The poem is a fictional official’s autobiography, supposedly carved on the walls of his tomb, and his story forms a passionate ... Show More
May 2019
Talking with the Soul: A Dialogue about Life and Death
In this Ancient Egyptian poem, a man talks with his own soul about whether it is better to live or die. Read by Barbara Ewing. Translated by Richard Bruce Parkinson. The poem is known from a single copy, c. 1800 BC, whose beginning is lost. It is a dialogue between a man and his ... Show More
15m 38s
Jun 2022
418 "Because I could not stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson
Because Jacke could not stop for the scheduled episode topics, a certain poem kindly stopped for him. Luckily it's one of the greatest poems of all time! It's by the 19th-century American genius Emily Dickinson, and it packs into seven short stanzas a journey through life, death, ... Show More
57m 4s
Nov 2020
Episode 136 🖤 EDGAR ALLAN POE'S "THE TELL TALE HEART" | ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
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In this English lesson, I give a quick biography on Edgar Allan Poe and then I read an adaptation of his short story, "The Tell Tale Heart" in slow, clear, easy to understa ... Show More
14m 49s
May 2022
The Black Death | 5. death, sin & spirituality
The arrival of a terrifying pandemic made medieval people increasingly preoccupied with death, sin and the afterlife. In this episode, Ellie Cawthorne speaks to Helen Carr about spiritual responses to the Black Death, from special prayers to self-flagellation.
The primary sources ... Show More
37m 37s
Jun 2021
Ilya Kaminsky — We Lived Happily during the War
The opening poem to Ilya Kaminsky’s masterpiece, “Deaf Republic,” is written in the voice of someone who is confessing their complacency during a time of trial. There’s a war going on, but it doesn’t affect the person speaking, so they don’t get involved. Instead they stayed outs ... Show More
16m 36s