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Latest episodes from Poetry and English Literature

Wallace Stevens

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2025 97:36


Send us a textWe get even more boggled than usual tackling three head-scratchers by American modernist Wallace Stevens (1879-1955).Domination of BlackThe Emperor of Ice Cream13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird

A Very Merry Versify Christmas

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2024 85:19


Send us a textRobert Frost, Alfred Lord Tennyson and William Carlos Williams hang their Christmas stockings and get a full serving of Versify rambling. Shorter than a usual episode. It's a Christmas miracle!

Thomas Hardy - Live in Alfriston

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2024 85:45


Send us a textVersify record their first live podcast in the beautiful Sussex village of Alfriston, tackling the poetry of British literary titan, Thomas Hardy (1840-1928).Poems: The Voice, The Convergence of the Twain, At Castle Boterel.

Rainer Maria Rilke - Part 02

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2024 112:05


Send us a Text Message.We cautiously dip our toe in Rilke's 'Duino Elegies' and get immediately swept out of our depth. 

Rainer Maria Rilke - Part 01

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2024 105:11


We blunder our way through our first ever poet in translation with predictably confused results. Our victim this time is revered Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926).Poems:EveningThe PantherArchaic Torso of Apollo

Maya Angelou

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2024 95:46


We discuss the life and poetry of Maya Angelou (1928-2014).

John Keats

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2024 114:05


We tackle one of the almighty greats of English poetry with predictably sketchy results.'Reading King Lear', and odes on 'Melancholy' and 'A Grecian Urn' befuddle us plenty.

A Very Merry Versify Xmas 2023

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2023 75:16


A Very Merry Versify Xmas 2023Poetrye e cummingsJames MerrillHenry Longfellow

Louis MacNeice Museums Alcohol Soap Suds

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2023 137:08


Poetry discussionLouis MacNeice Louis MacNeice - MuseumsLouis MacNeice - Alcohol Louis MacNeice- Soap Suds

Elizabeth Bishop

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2023 113:14


After an unacceptable delay waiting for Rob to edit this episode, it is finally available!Three poems by American poet Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979)

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2023 87:54


Three poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Langston Hughes

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2023 97:01


Three oafish English guys tackle the Poet Laureate of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes (1901-1967).

Carol Ann Duffy

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2023 108:58


Three poems by the former poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy. 

A Very Merry Versify Xmas

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2022 92:37


Betjeman, Bly, Hardy - Three Christmas Poems and Seasons Greetings from the Versify Podcast.

Larkin. The North Ship; Mr Bleaney; The Explosion

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2022 100:44


Larkin.  The North Ship;  Mr Bleaney;  The Explosion

Robert Frost - The Tuft of Flowers; On a Tree Fallen Across the Road; Acquainted with the Night

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2022 114:10


Robert Frost - The Tuft of Flowers;  On a Tree Fallen Across the Road;  Acquainted with the Night

Mai Black

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2022 52:19


High excitement on the pod as we interview actual living poet Mai Black.Mai's book Thirty Angry Ghosts takes figures from across the world and gives their anger voice.In this Episode,  we meet Anne Boleyn;  Henry VIII and the Unknown Soldier.From Mai:'Thirty Angry Ghosts' is the result of my year in lockdown. Someone on 'Suffolk Writers Group' Facebook challenged us all to write from the point of view of a famous person's ghost. I did Anne Boleyn and loved it, so the next day I wrote a poem in the voice of Helen of Troy. I've always loved history as well as poetry so it was the perfect project for me.I'm so pleased with the finished book and with the response it's had so far. Next, I'm hoping to share it with local high schools as it seems a fairly natural follow-on from the popular 'Horrible Histories' series and fits in well with quite a few curriculum areas.Currently I'm writing and researching a novel set in 18th Century London. I'm also running a variety of poetry courses on Zoom and leading writing workshops for the well-being charity 'Inside Out Community'.Details of the book and the courses I run can be found at www.suffolkwritersgroup.com

Shakespeare's Sonnets

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2022 88:39


Three of Shakespeare's sonnets get dusted off and stared at for a bit.

Andrew Marvell (1621-1678)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2022 89:26


Three poems by Andrew Marvell go under the blurry microscope.

Stephen Spender

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2021 77:10


Three poems by Sir Stephen Spender."Hamburg, 1929""An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum""I Think Continually of Those Who Were Truly Great"

Edna St Vincent Millay

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2021 105:13


Departure  Recuerdo  Dirge Without MusicThe pod reads and reflects on three poems by Edna St Vincent Millay

Theodore Roethke

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2021 86:58


Three Poems by Theodore Roethke (1908-1963).

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2021 110:02


Three poems by  Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892).email: poetrypodcats@gmail.comTwitter: @poetrypodcats

A.E. Housman

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2021 79:25


Three poems by A.E. Housman (1859 – 1936).

Emily Dickinson

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2021 97:41


Versify - The Poetry and English Literature PodcastThree poems by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)Safe in their Alabaster ChambersI Dreaded That First Robin SoA Precious - Mouldering Pleasure 'Tispoetrypodcats@gmail.comTwitter: @poetrypodcats

RS Thomas

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2020 105:03


Three poems by the Welsh poet RS Thomas (1913-2000):The Country CleregyA Welsh TestamentTo A Young Poetpoetrypodcats@gmail.comTwitter: @poetrypodcats

William Carlos Williams

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2020 103:42


A sampling of poems by the acclaimed US poet-physician William Carlos Williams (1883-1963) are tackled by the bungling co-hosts.

Wendy Cope

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2020 107:35


A selection of poems from 'Making Cocoa For Kingsley Amis' and 'Serious Concerns'Apologies to anybody who downloaded an earlier file that was out of synch.

W H Auden The Novelist The Fall of Rome September 1st 1939

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2020 130:12


Discussion of W H Auden poems The Novelist The Fall of Rome September 1st 1939poetrypodcats@gmail.com

Sylvia Plath Mushrooms You're Crossing the Water

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2020 118:11


Discussion of Sylvia Plath Mushrooms You're Crossing the Water

Edgar Allan Poe Romance The City in the Sea The Conqueror Worm

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2020 133:47


The Pod considers Edgar Allan Poe's Romance, The City in the Sea and The Conqueror Worm.Do email us with comments or suggestions (or corrections!) at:poetrypodcats@gmail.com

Byron The Darkness

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2020 95:24


The pod considers Lord Byron's 1816 poem The Darkness.

Christina Rossetti Heart's Chill Between 'Aloof' (from The Thread of Life) In an Artist's Studio

Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2020 105:56


We discuss three poems by Christina Rossetti

Seamus Heaney Follower Scaffolding Badgers

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2020 104:34


The crew discuss three Seamus Heaney poems: Follower Scaffolding and Badgers

W.B. Yeats Second Coming Byzantium Long Legged Fly

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2020 98:23


The team dive in to three poems by WB Yeats.Comments/suggestions welcomed at poetrypodcats@gmail.com

John Donne Apparition Song St Lucie's Day

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2020 120:48


A first encounter with three John Donne poems.Poetrypodcats@gmail.com

Sir John Betjeman Deaf Man Youth and Age Subaltern's Love

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2020 110:01


Discussed areSloughOn a Portrait of a Deaf ManYouth and Age on Beaulieu River HantsA Subaltern's Love Song

Robert Graves Dead Cow Farm The Cool Web A Childs Nightmare

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2020 107:24


More of major poets being encountered by amateurs.

Edward Thomas The Manor Farm Haymaking As the Teams Head Brass

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2020 81:43


Two unqualified persons who have done v little research dive in to the poetry of Edward Thomas.

Ted Hughes The Bear Hawk Roosting Meeting

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2019 65:12


Me and Rob read and discuss three Ted Hughes poems: The Bear, Hawk Roosting and Meeting

Love Conquers All Shakespeare's Sonnet

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2019 30:25


This is a reading and some discussion of Shakespeare's sonnet Love Conquers All.It is also the first episode of the pod in which technical and structural issues are discussed!

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