The Daily Poem

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The Daily Poem offers one essential poem each weekday morning. From Shakespeare and John Donne to Robert Frost and E..E Cummings, The Daily Poem curates a broad and generous audio anthology of the best poetry ever written, read-aloud by David Kern and an assortment of various contributors. Some lite commentary is included and the shorter poems are often read twice, as time permits. The Daily Poem is presented by Goldberry Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Goldberry Studios


    • Sep 21, 2026 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 6m AVG DURATION
    • 1,260 EPISODES

    4.8 from 628 ratings Listeners of The Daily Poem that love the show mention: daily poem, read twice, homeschool day, love poetry, poetry podcasts, poems, kern, read aloud, poets, selections, podcast every day, readings, wind, perfect way, introducing, daily dose, life giving, observations, beauty, great way to start.


    Ivy Insights

    The Daily Poem podcast is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in exploring poetry. As someone who recently became interested in poetry at the age of 55, I found this podcast to be invaluable in my journey. The host's passion and enthusiasm for poetry shine through in every episode, making it a truly enriching experience.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is the variety of poems that are featured. The host does an excellent job of sourcing poems from a wide range of poets and time periods, allowing listeners to discover new voices and styles. The episodes are also the perfect length, with just enough commentary to provide reflection without overwhelming the listener with too much information. The readings themselves are beautiful and captivating, bringing the poems to life.

    Another great aspect of this podcast is its accessibility. Whether you're new to poetry or a seasoned lover of verse, there is something here for everyone. The host does an excellent job of providing context and guidance for each poem, making them accessible even to those who may not have a deep understanding of poetic techniques or terminology.

    However, one potential downside to this podcast is that there can be a lack of diversity in terms of themes and subject matter. While there are occasional more adult-themed poems, it would be helpful if there was some indication in the details when these types of poems are featured so that listeners can make an informed choice about whether or not they want to listen with children present.

    Nevertheless, overall, The Daily Poem podcast is a treasure for anyone interested in poetry. It has the power to ignite our minds and set our hearts on fire as we go about our daily lives. Whether you're listening during your morning commute or gathered around the dining room table with your family, this podcast will undoubtedly enrich your life and deepen your appreciation for the beauty and power of poetry.



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    Latest episodes from The Daily Poem

    George Herbert's “The Pulley”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2026 4:01


    Today's poem gives us a poet making sense of his restlessness and finding in it the mechanism that draws him upward to God. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Marsden Hartley's “Salutations to a Mouse”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2026 3:19


    In today's poem, the poet discovers unexpected value in his writing. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    mouse salutations marsden hartley
    Annie Dillard's “How we spend our days”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2026 2:36


    Today we are remembering Annie Dillard. Her poem offers not only advice for living, but an approach to understanding a life in retrospect. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Algernon Charles Swinburne's “Sestina”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2026 3:55


    Today's poem heightened the form it's named for by adding patterned rhyme. Even with the added complexity, this sometimes-rigid form strikes the ear as verse that is smooth and unassuming. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Scott Cairns' “Chemo With Coleridge”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2026 3:39


    Today's poem, from Cairns' new Against Certainty, ponders the value of intravenous poetry. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Wendell Berry's “Sabbath Poem III, 1994”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2026 3:42


    Today's poem is, quite simply, one of my favorites. Berry uses Shakespeare to tell us we cannot see our life clearly until we have passed through death. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Wendell Berry's “The Guest”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2026 3:10


    Today's poem confesses the discomfort and undesirability of loving our neighbor. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Wendell Berry's “In a Motel Parking Lot, Thinking of Dr. Williams”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2026 4:23


    Today's poem is part tribute, part poetic manifesto. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Jane Austen's “Mock Panegyric on a Young Friend”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2026 2:35


    Today's poem marshals Austen's characteristic wit to praise feminine virtues via comparison to American geography. Fellas, don't try this at home. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Elizabeth Barrett Browning's “Grief”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 4:36


    Today's poem, pitting Victorian stoicism against Victorian sentimentality, contends that the truest grief is the most austere and long-lived. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Wendell Berry's “Testament”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2026 5:35


    Composed in 1971 as a self-eulogy, today's poem is a remembrance of Wendell Berry who embarked for the greater Port Royal yesterday at the age of 92. May his memory be eternal. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Oliver Wendell Holmes' “The Last Leaf”

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2026 3:56


    Holmes wrote that the man who inspired today's poem reminded him of "a withered leaf which has held to its stem through the storms of autumn and winter, and finds itself still clinging to its bough while the new growths of spring are bursting their buds and spreading their foliage all around it." Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Francis Jammes' “A Prayer to Go to Paradise with the Donkeys”

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2026 3:44


    Today's poem, translated by Richard Wilbur, is part animal appreciation, prayer for a good death. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    William Shakespeare's Sonnet 71 (“No longer mourn for me when I am dead”)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2026 5:03


    Today's poem has a different preoccupation than most Shakespearean sonnets–not immortalizing the beloved, but effacing the lover. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    John Milton's Proem to Paradise Lost

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2026 4:48


    Today's poem is the opening lines of a famous epic poem–composed by a blind poet, about the fall of a great kingdom, a devious stratagem, and a long journey home. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Shel Silverstein's “Sick”

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2026 2:20


    Today's poem is angling for a day off. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    David Wagoner's “The Junior High School Band Concert”

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2026 3:13


    “No doubt, in his mind's earSome band somewhereIn some music of some SphereWas striking a note as pureAs the wishes of Franz Schubert,But meanwhile here we were” Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    William Blake's "The School Boy"

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2026 2:53


    Today's poem is a more eloquent version of an appeal being made in many households this month. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Bill Watterson's "The Yukon Song"

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2026 2:31


    Today's poem turns the Yukon territory into every boy's dream. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Thomas Dekker's "The Happy Heart"

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2026 4:51


    Today's poem ponders the soft pillow of poverty and even boasts a Beatles connection. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    John Donne's "The Good-Morrow"

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2026 6:35


    “My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears.” In today's poem, love awakens the sleeper to new life. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Walter de la Mare's "Silver"

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2026 4:22


    Today's poem is bathed in moonlight. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    St. John of the Cross's "The Soul Aflame"

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2026 2:37


    Today's poem is another contemplation of ambivalence toward life that conceals a deeper commitment to life. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Angela Morgan's "Work: A Song of Triumph"

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2026 4:53


    Today's poem is a very enthusiastic paean to work (doth the lady protest too much?). Happy Monday and Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Robert Louis Stevenson's "Consolation"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2026 3:38


    Today's poem is a tender consolation after the loss of a friend, suitable for young and old alike. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Francis Thompson's "The Kingdom of God"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2026 5:52


    In today's poem, the transcendent is immanent. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Emily Dickinson's "If I can stop one heart from breaking"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2026 3:39


    Today's poem uses an unrhymed line to make its point. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Oscar Wilde's “Portia”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2026 4:56


    In today's poem, an embodied literary character possesses the power to steal the hearts of living men. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Robert Service's "The Law of the Yukon"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2026 8:47


    Today's poem might be the photo-negative of Emma Lazarus' “The New Colossus;” the personified Yukon does not mince words in saying the tired, huddled masses come at their own risk. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Wisława Szymborska's "In Praise of My Sister"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2026 3:00


    Today's poem enjoys (among other things) the sheer relief of escaping from other poets. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Ezra Pound's "Meditatio"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2026 2:54


    Today's poem ponders man's dignity. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Thomas Lux's “A Little Tooth”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2026 4:28


    Today's poem lets the reader experience all the dread and feeling of parenthood in nine lines. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Herman Melville's "In the Prison Pen"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2026 4:37


    Today's poem comes from a writer not remembered for his poetry, but when Melville's early success as a novelist seemed to falter, he dedicated a number of years and considerable energies to poetry instead. This poem describes the dehumanizing conditions on a Civil War prison camp. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Carl Sandburg's "Back Yard"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2026 2:22


    Today's poem is all summer atmosphere. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Robert Frost's "For Once, Then, Something"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2026 6:11


    Today's poem is a poem about the way looking gets in the way of what we perceive. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Edgar Guest's "A Boy and His Dad "

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2026 3:21


    Today's poem speaks unironically of a pastoral Eden where fathers and sons commune with one another while the fish jump. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Richard Armour's "Parental Pride"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2026 2:44


    Today's poem takes a well-meant jab at the things we say about babies. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    William McGonagall's "Attempted Assassination of the Queen"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2026 3:41


    Today's poem comes from the pen of the perfect mid-week poet. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    assassination william mcgonagall
    Prudentius' "The Passion of the Apostles Peter and Paul"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2026 6:50


    Today's poem, originally a 4th-century Latin composition, details the celebration of Sts. Peter and Paul in ancient Rome. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Pablo Neruda's "Ode To The Artichoke"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2026 4:23


    Today's poem is a paean to the world's greatest vegetable. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Pablo Neruda's "Sonnet XVII"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2026 3:11


    Today's poem, probably Neruda's best-known (tr. Stephen Mitchell), goes out to all the June brides. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Mary Oliver's “No Matter What”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2026 4:37


    Today's poem tangles and untangles the sweet permanence of impermanence. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Czeslaw Milosz's “Dedication”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2026 4:51


    “You whom I could not save/Listen to me./Try to understand this simple speech as I would be ashamed of another./I swear, there is in me no wizardry of words./I speak to you with silence like a cloud or a tree.”Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Joyce Kilmer's “The House with Nobody In It”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2026 3:20


    Today's poem, not a cowboy poem per se, nevertheless tells the story of a frontier mentality and the meeting points of civilization and desolation. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Bruce Kiskaddon's "When They've Finished Shipping Cattle in the Fall"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2026 4:53


    Today's poem is about the memories that come flooding in when the season's work is done and the cowboy's body finally relaxes. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Curley Fletcher's "The Strawberry Roan"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2026 4:57


    Today's poem, about an unbreakable horse, is a classic example of a unique American genre–the cowboy poem. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' “The Last Vegetable”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2026 3:19


    Today's poem is about loyalty to the toughest crop in town. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Paisley Rekdal's "Pear"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2026 4:54


    Today's poem has some strong words for the apple. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Blaze Koneski's "Peppers"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2026 5:08


    Today's poem, translated by Kristian Josifoski, makes a pepper into more than a pepper. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    Rudyard Kipling's "The Lie"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2026 4:28


    Today's poem is all about the correlation between the elaborate architecture of a lie and the pleasure that telling it can give. Maybe an allegory for art? Maybe a playful confession? Maybe a political commentary? Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

    A. F. Moritz's "On Distinction"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2026 4:32


    Today's poem is about the strange whys and ways of trying to endure in this world. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

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