For the ninth episode of their series, Seamus and Mark discuss the life and work of Seamus Heaney, whose first collection, Death of Naturalist, established him immediately as a leading poetic voice in world in which modernism seemed to have run its course. They look at how his work draws extensively on his childhood, its use of poetic sounds to bind him to h ... Show More
Feb 23
London Revisited: Mosaics, Archers and a Walled Garden
After Roman London was hit by a catastrophic fire in about 125 AD, perhaps the result of another local revolt, it entered a new period of sophistication which saw the emergence of elaborate townhouses for its mercantile and administrative elite, richly embellished with mosaics an ... Show More
18m 43s
May 2023
Andrew Epstein on John Ashbery ("Street Musicians")
An episode I've been waiting for from the beginning: Andrew Epstein joins the podcast to talk about John Ashbery, one of the most important poets of the last hundred years, and his beautiful and haunting poem of mid-career, "Street Musicians."Andrew is Professor of English at Flo ... Show More
1h 28m
Apr 2023
Harris Feinsod on William Carlos Williams ("To Elsie")
Harris Feinsod joins the podcast to talk about William Carlos Williams, his great book of 1923, Spring and All, and one of its strange and unforgettable poems, "To Elsie."Harris is an associate professor of English and Comparative Literary Studies at Northwestern University. He i ... Show More
1h 21m
Jul 2022
779. [2/2] Poetry Reading: Sir Gawain and The Green Knight (by Simon Armitage)
<p>Luke reads verses from a modernised version of this medieval poem, considered one of the masterpieces of Middle English literature. </p><p>Listen to hear the rhyme and rhythm of the poetry, the descriptive vocabulary and details of the story, with vocabulary explanations and c ... Show More
1h 38m
Aug 2023
Jeff Dolven on Sir Thomas Wyatt ("They Flee from Me")
"Dear heart, how like you this?" There's really nothing better than that, is there? I talked to Jeff Dolven about Sir Thomas Wyatt's gorgeous poem "They Flee from Me." It's one of the hottest poems I know, and after talking to Jeff I know it much better. Jeff Dolven is Professor ... Show More
1h 47m
Jul 2023
Liberté, de Paul Éluard ✍️
<p>Paul Éluard, de son vrai nom Eugène Grindel, est l'auteur du célèbre poème "Liberté". Un texte écrit pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale et devenu un symbole d'espoir, marquant ainsi plusieurs générations. C'est le deuxième poème que nous vous proposons d'écouter au cours de no ... Show More
4m 56s