Frank Skinner loves poetry. And he thinks you might like it too. Join Frank each week as he takes you through some of his choice picks of poems. There may be laughter. There may be tears. There will certainly be poetry. Frank Skinner's Poetry Podcast is produced by Sarah Bishop. It is an Avalon production for Bauer Media.
The Frank Skinner's Poetry Podcast is an absolute delight for poetry enthusiasts and those looking to immerse themselves in the world of literature. Hosted by the charming and enthusiastic Frank Skinner, this podcast offers a refreshing approach to exploring and appreciating poetry. The effort put into each episode is evident, and it's clear that Skinner has a genuine passion for the subject matter.
One of the best aspects of this podcast is Frank Skinner himself. His unaffected enthusiasm and love for different poems and poets are infectious. He brings a conversational style to the show, making it accessible to both poetry aficionados and novices alike. Listening to him discuss various works feels like having a cup of tea with a knowledgeable friend who is eager to share their insights.
Another highlight of this podcast is the selection of poems featured in each episode. From classic pieces by renowned poets to lesser-known gems, there is something for everyone. Skinner's ability to bring these poems to life through his readings, accompanied by thoughtful analyses, adds another layer of appreciation for the art form.
However, there are some areas where improvement could be made. One aspect that could be addressed is how the poems are introduced. It would be beneficial if Skinner read the full poem before delving into his analysis. This would allow listeners to experience the poem in its entirety on its own terms before hearing his interpretation. It can feel like viewing only fragments of a complete painting when snippets of poems are presented without context.
In conclusion, The Frank Skinner's Poetry Podcast is a must-listen for poetry lovers craving insightful discussions about their favorite literary works. While there may be room for improvement in terms of presentation, Frank Skinner's passion shines through and makes this podcast an enjoyable experience overall. It serves as a wonderful distraction from everyday life or during times such as lockdowns when we seek solace in art and literature.
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Frank spends the night in Dylan Thomas' bedroom. The poems referenced are ‘And Death Shall Have No Dominion', ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night' and ‘A Refusal To Morn The Death, By Fire, Of A Child In London' by Dylan Thomas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Frank loves a hard-drinking, hard-smoking Polytechnic lecturer like Martin Bell, especially when he is offering poetic praise to Groucho Marx. The poems referenced are ‘Ode to Groucho' by Martin Bell and ‘The Second Coming' by W.B. Yeats.
Jo Shapcott sends Frank, an enthusiastic tree-hugger, into a sap-soaked frenzy. The collection referenced is ‘Of Mutability'. The poems referenced are ‘I Go Inside The Tree', ‘My Oak' and ‘Cypress'.
Frank stands in awe as Sasha Dugdale sends a frighteningly honest Valentine's message. The collection referenced is ‘Joy' by Sasha Dugdale. The poems referenced are ‘Joy' and ‘Valentine's'.
The Irish poet, Jessica Traynor, explores one of Frank's favourite subjects – ageing performers who don't know when to quit. The collection referenced is ‘Pit Lullabies' by Jessica Traynor. The cycle of poems referenced is ‘An Island Sings'. The poems referenced are ‘The Parent's Song', ‘Song of the Insomniac' and ‘Nureyev in Dublin'.
American poet, Billy Collins, makes Frank question the whole Poetry Podcast experience. The poems referenced are ‘Introduction to Poetry' and ‘American Sonnet' by Billy Collins.
Frank trembles at the fragmented beauty of Sappho, the superstar poet of Ancient Greece. The fragment translations are by Aaron Poochigian.
Frank explores The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot. Nuff said.
Series 9 of Frank Skinner's Poetry Podcast begins on 10th January. See you there!
Is it a man? Is it a moth? Frank has a strange night out with Elizabeth Bishop. The poem referenced is ‘The Man-Moth'.
Frank indulges his obsession with the Anglo Saxons as he reads Geoffrey Hill's Mercian Hymns.
Did he or didn't he? Frank investigates Robert Browning's ‘My Last Duchess'. The other poem referenced is ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin' by Robert Browning.
Nature gets horny and reflective. Frank is excited about the poetry of Jean Sprackland. The collection referenced is ‘Green Noise'. The poem referenced is ‘April' and the sequence referenced is ‘The Lost Villages'.
Frank examines statues and statutes with Percy Bysshe Shelley. The poems referenced are ‘England in 1918' and ‘Ozymandias'. The essay referenced is ‘A Defence of Poetry'.
Frank howls at the moon with Sylvia Plath. The poems referenced are ‘The Moon and the Yew Tree' and ‘Ariel'. TW: mentions of suicide.
Frank celebrates the razor-sharp poetic mind of Don Paterson. The poem referenced is ‘Rain'.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning shows Frank that it's hard to be a mother and a poet and a revolutionary. The poem referenced is ‘Mother and Poet'.
Series 8 of Frank Skinner's Poetry Podcast coming very soon...
This week, Frank discovers two very different war poets, Alan Ross and Alan Seeger. The poems referenced are ‘Mess Deck' by Alan Ross and ‘I Have a Rendezvous with Death' by Alan Seeger.
This week, Frank explains why the poet, Charlotte Mew, should, in his opinion, be a household name. The poems referenced are ‘The Farmer's Bride' and ‘Sea Love'.
This week, Frank screams the praises of Sinéad Morrissey's Beatlemania poems. The book referenced is ‘On Balance'. The poems referenced are ‘The Millihelen' and ‘Perfume'.
This week: Thomas Hardy's poetry, featuring love, death and men that look like holly bushes. The poems referenced are ‘Exeunt Omnes', ‘A Light Snow-Fall After Frost' and ‘A Countenance'.
This week, Frank enters the funny but unsettling world of Selima Hill. The collection referenced is ‘Men Who Feed Pigeons'.
This week, John Keats talks to pottery. The poem referenced is ‘Ode on A Grecian Urn'.
This week, we look at a John Masefield poem from 1911, in which a naked drunk runs through a town at midnight, threatening firefighters with their own hose-nozzles. The poems referenced are ‘Sea-Fever', ‘The Everlasting Mercy', ‘Dauber' and ‘Partridges'.
This week: why do so many of us stagger through life leaving a trail of chaos and confusion? American poet, Kay Ryan, reveals it's because we are carrying an invisible ladder. The poems referenced are ‘We're Building the Ship As We Sail It', ‘Carrying A Ladder' and ‘Blandeur'.
This week, American poet, Richard Wilbur, explains why stones aren't very ambitious. The poems referenced are ‘A Dubious Night' and ‘Two Voices in A Meadow'.
This week, American Poet Laureate, Ada Limón heads for the safe haven of the parental raincoat. The poems referenced are ‘The Contract Says: We'd Like the Conversation to be Bilingual', ‘The Raincoat' and ‘Before'.
This week, Ted Hughes shows us that writing a poem is like a stinking fox walking across a snow-covered field. The poem referenced are ‘The Thought Fox' and ‘The Jaguar'.
This week, our Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, writes a brilliant poem about what some might think is an unlikely subject. The poem referenced is ‘The Patriarchs – An Elegy'.
This week, Carol Ann Duffy considers the profound, prayer-like quality of the Shipping Forecast. The poems referenced are ‘Death of a Teacher' and ‘Prayer'.
This week, John Betjeman gets a tennis-based humiliation from the girl of his dreams. The poem referenced is ‘A Subaltern's Love Song'.
Series 6 of Frank Skinner's Poetry Podcast begins on 8th February. See you there!
At last, our first jousting poet - Frank meets Sir Thomas Wyatt, head-on. The poems referenced are They Flee From Me and Farewell Love and All Thy Laws For Ever by Sir Thomas Wyatt.
Frank went on holiday with Emily Dickinson and came back in love with her poetry. The poems referenced are ‘After great pain, a formal feeling comes', ‘One need not be a Chamber — to be Haunted' and ‘A Wind That Rose' by Emily Dickinson.
Vampires and mermaids - Frank falls under the spell of Clare Pollard's fabulous poetry. The collection referenced is Changeling by Clare Pollard and the individual poems referenced are Zennor and Whitby.
Frank meets Alfred Lord Tennyson's Lady of Shalott and finds out why Camelot is a bit of a lottery. The poems referenced are The Charge Of The Light Brigade and The Lady Of Shalott both by Tennyson.
Drunken nights and floppy discs - Frank gets excited about the poetry of Leontia Flynn. The collection referenced is Profit and Loss by Leontia Flynn and the individual poems referenced are Anecdote and The Floppy Disk.
Frank explains why the first poetry book he ever bought, The Mersey Sound, changed his life forever. The poems referenced are Without You and The New ‘Our Times' by Adrian Henri, Where Are You Now, Batman, Party Piece and After Breakfast by Brian Patten, and On Picnics, Café Portraits and Let Me Die A Youngman's Death by Roger McGough.
Series 5 of Frank Skinner's Poetry Podcast coming very soon...
Frank shares a cold, sad Sunday morning with Robert Hayden. The poems referenced are Those Winter Sundays and The Whipping by Robert Hayden.
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