Classic Poetry

Byron was the ideal of the Romantic poet, gaining notoriety for his scandalous private life and being described by one contemporary as "mad, bad and dangerous to know". Here, Tyrone Power reads a selection of his finest work.

This amazing collection of poetry from the famous Greek Anthology spans over 1,500 years of ancient Greek and Byzantine history. The selections in this recording were chosen and translated by famed classicist J. W. Mackail.

The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam, in the famous translation by Edward Fitzgerald, remains one of the most popular poems. Here, it forms the main work on the first half of this program, along with other shorter poems by other leading Persian and Indian figures, including Rumi, Sa'di, and Rabindranath Tagore.

Christopher Smart (1722-1771) was an English poet and scholar. This extraordinary poem, which is a florid display of Smart's opinions on a variety of theological, historical, and scientific subjects, was written between 1759 and 1763, while the author was confined in a lunatic asylum. His condition was diagnosed as religious mania, as evidenced by his compulsion to break into spontaneous prayer in public.

Like his great contemporaries, John Keats and Lord Byron, Shelley suffered an untimely death, but still managed to stun the world with a wide-ranging body of work, including poetry, drama, and criticism. His poetry is that of a young man, a lover of nature and fiercely critical of institutionalized corruption, and virtuosic in his use of language and imagery.

This remarkable poem, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I, was Spenser's finest achievement: the first epic poem in modern English. The Faerie Queene combines dramatic narratives of chivalrous adventure with exquisite and picturesque episodes of pageantry. At the same time, Spenser is expounding a deeply-felt allegory of the eternal struggle between Truth and Error.

This collection of popular poems from the master American poet and storyteller Edgar A. Poe includes: “The Raven”, “A Dream”, “The City in the Sea”, “Annabel Lee”, “A Dream Within a Dream”, “Lenore”, “Eldorado”, “To Helen”, “The Haunted Palace”, and “Alone”.

"Eugène Onéguine, le roman en vers de Pouchkine, est le plus grand livre jamais écrit en russe. Le traduire aura été le travail de ma vie. J'ai voulu en conserver une voix vivante, en demandant à ma mère, Daredjan, qui m'a transmis la langue et le connaît par cœur, de dire le texte russe. Ce n'est pas une lecture d'artiste, (les plus grands acteurs russes ont enregistré 'leur' Onéguine), c'est le témoignage d'une lecture familiale, de la façon dont ce roman, - dont ce poème - peut vivre, au jour le jour, dans le cœur de chaque Russe."

Songs of Innocence and of Experience is a collection of 45 poems by English poet William Blake. "Songs of Innocence" is the first part of the collection and appeared in 1789 with engraved illustrations by Blake. The second part, "Songs of Experience", also illustrated, was added in 1794 when Blake published the whole under the full title of Songs of Innocence and Experience Showing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul.

Robert Speaight, Anthony Quayle, and others read a selection of poetry by William Blake, Rudyard Kipling, John Gay, and D. H. Lawrence.

Icarus Falls is the latest poetry book out by Christopher Moore. Using a proto-mythological theme, the poems in Icarus Falls combine personal poetry with themes from mythology, particularly a heavy influence of Ancient Greek mythology.

Death is a subject that few of us talk about, but many think about and more than a few of us dread. Whether it is the actual end of our life’s journey or merely a transit point to heavenly glory, its actual point of impact is, obviously, life-changing. But what do poets think of it? How do their minds tangle with the subject and make sense of this? That’s what we wondered, too. Poets as rich and diverse as Longfellow, Hood, Bronte, Burns, and Gibran here share their words, thoughts and visions with us.

Here is a massive collection of poems from classics through contemporary, grouped by poetry subject, including: Romance; Inspiration and faith; Lust, betrayal and lost love; Eternity; Growing up and growing old; Children; Ghosts, evil and superstition; Loss and sorrow; Nature; the Human condition; Working; that Make a Statement; Choices; War and Peace; and Writing, art, and poetry.

Os Lusíadas é um poema épico que marcou a língua portuguesa, escrito há mais de 450 anos. Inspirado pelas epopéias gregas, foi escrito pelo poeta português Luís Vaz de Camões e publicado em 1572. Ao narrar as aventuras de Vasco da Gama em sua jornada para as Índias, o poeta engrandece as grandes navegações e o próprio homem português que desbravou o mundo em busca de novas terras. Por meio dos cantos, também conta a história de fundação de Portugal, mitos e lendas locais.

Timeless poetry for moments of reflection and contemplation. The masters of literature are brought together in this unique program.

Vor etwa 2.000 Jahren starb Ovid. Wie kaum ein anderer prägte er die abendländische Kultur. In seinen "Metamorphosen" erzählt er von der Entstehung der Welt und des Menschen. In rund 250 Verwandlungssagen führt er durch die antike Mythologie bis in die Gegenwart des antiken Lesers. Es sind mythische Geschichten von Menschen oder Halbgöttern, die zu Pflanzen, Tieren und Sternbildern werden. Seine "Metamorphosen", geschrieben in Versen und in über 15 Stunden gelesen von Burgschauspieler Peter Simonischek, sind so fantasievoll wie fantastisch und regen immer wieder zu neuen Deutungen an.

The Odyssey is the second - the Iliad being the first - masterpiece by Homer. The story of a long journey by the king of Ithaca, Odysseus, as he returns home after the Trojan War has been frequently published, staged, and filmed. This audio performance of the classic epic poem is comparable to the ancient method of travelling artists who sang their poems in hexameter.

The Bronte Sisters: A Collection of Poems. While the novels of the Bronte sisters are much beloved, their beautiful works of poetry often go unnoticed. This collection contains all their poetical works, pieced together by Charlotte, who provides illuminating commentary on her dear sisters' words. The collection was first published under the names Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell.

Die "Metamorphosen" - Verwandlungsgeschichten - des Publius Ovidius Naso gehören zum Grundbestand abendländischer Kultur...

Some of the greatest poets and lovers in the English language speak of their love in this seductive and romantic collection. Here are the voices of Romeo, Robert Burns, Lord Byron and many others.