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


    • Jul 24, 2026 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 6m AVG DURATION
    • 1,233 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

    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

    John Crowe Ransom's "Piazza Piece

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 6:37


    Today's poem is an open-ended sonnet-versation (sonnet conversation) between youth and experience–with the rarer twist that the dynamic is here presented in the context of a potential romance. 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

    Maurice Manning's "To the People of Sangamo County"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2026 6:14


    “The effort to be/ accomplished, without experience,/ is something to pity”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

    sangamo maurice manning
    Paul Laurence Dunbar's "In Summer"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2026 3:13


    There are few joys as pure as singing in the summer time. 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

    Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Decorum Est"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2026 6:39


    Today's poem is one of the best known English war poems, both challenging popular notions of the glories of warfare and acknowledging the oft-unseen sacrifices of service. 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 Ciardi's "An Emeritus Addresses the School"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2026 4:20


    “…a word might turn youall the bent ways to love, its merciespracticed, its one day at a timebegun and lived and slept on and begun.” 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

    Matthew Zapruder's "Graduation Day"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2026 4:17


    Today's poem is not the one you should read at graduation parties 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

    Lisa Olstein's "Dear One Absent This Long While"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2026 5:59


    Today's poem–from Olstein's first collection, Radio Crackling, Radio Gone (2006)–is a melancholy collection of the little things we'd like to say to someone who isn't there. 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

    absent dear one lisa olstein
    Ron Padgett's "Poem"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2026 4:03


    Today's poem is the experience of having duties in the spring time rolled into the experience of reading every poem ever written. 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

    poem ron padgett
    Gerard Manley Hopkins' "Spring and Fall"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2026 3:33


    Today's poem is for the Maggies, the Margarets, and for anyone who gets moody in the springtime and can't explain why. 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

    Christina Rossetti's "Spring"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2026 3:10


    “There is no time like Spring that passes by,/Now newly born, and now/Hastening to die.” 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

    Alexander Pope's "To Mrs. M. B. On Her Birthday"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2026 3:01


    Today's poem argues you don't have to like birthdays to have a happy one. 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

    Randall Jarrell's "Well Water"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2026 4:34


    Today is the birthday of poet Randall Jarrell, and today's poem does what birthdays themselves can sometimes do: remind us of the simple glories of every-day existence. 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

    R. S. Thomas' "This"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2026 5:30


    Today's poem uses the clever manipulation of a symbol to tease out the heart of male communication. 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

    Ogden Nash's "Taboo to Boot"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2026 5:46


    Today's poem is guaranteed to make you itch. 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 Burns' "John Barleycorn"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2026 3:29


    Today's poem is about the necessary death and resurrection of the titular figure. 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. R. Ammons' "Poetics"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2026 5:09


    Today's poem is about the attention needed to find…a 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

    from Malcolm Guite's "Galahad and the Grail"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2026 4:54


    Today's poem, singing of the first trial of Sir Galahad, is an excerpt from Malcolm Guite's Arthurian ballad, Galahad and the Grail. Happy reading.Galahad and the Grail is available from all booksellers, or in special editions direct from the publisher. 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

    Norman Maccaig's "Interruption to a Journey"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2026 5:24


    Today's poem captures the stab and indelible imprint of unintended destruction. 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

    interruption norman maccaig
    James Joyce's "On the Beach at Fontana"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2026 4:16


    Today's poem is from an author seldom associated with poetry today, though in his lifetime his verse garnered considerable recognition. 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

    Edward Rowland Sill's "The Fool's Prayer"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2026 4:23


    Today's poem presents two kinds of fools–those who know they need mercy, and those who don't. 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

    Ellis Parker Butler's "The Final Tax"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2026 3:21


    Today's poem is very much on-brand for Butler, whose best-known short story, “Pigs is Pigs,” concerns “a bureaucratic stationmaster who insists on levying the livestock rate for a shipment of two pet guinea pigs.” 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

    R. S. Thomas' "The Bright Field"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2026 4:03


    In today's poem the speaker has seen the light. 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

    Jonathan Henderson Brooks' "The Resurrection"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2026 2:52


    Now Calvary was loveliness:/Lilies that flowered thereuponPulled off the white moon's pallid dress,/And put the morning's vesture on. 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

    "Pangur Ban"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2026 4:34


    Today's poem, translated by Robin Flowers, was originally written in Old Irish inside an 8th-century scribe's copy of St. Paul's epistles. However, it reveals its anonymous author to be anything but a bored and disinterested grunt. Happy reading.N.B. Here is a wonderful reading of the poem in Old Irish. 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 99"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2026 5:16


    Today's poem is one of Shakespeare's “irregular” sonnets–he's got 99 problems (most of them flowers), but strict obedience to the requirements of the sonnet form ain't one. 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

    Nicholas Samaras' "The Second Death of Lazarus"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2026 6:14


    Today's poem imagines the long life of Lazarus as he awaits, like Eliot's magi, “another 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

    Sean Johnson's "How many beards gild the lapses of time"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2026 2:35


    Today's poem is a hirsute parody of a much better poem. Sorry in advance. 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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