Medieval Poetry

Perhaps the first great and truly "American" poet, Walt Whitman's writing reflected the idealism and turbulence of the mid-19th century. His poetry broke new stylistic ground with its unconventional meter and rhyme schemes, yet celebrated democratic values, the beauty of nature, and the complex variety and vitality of American life.

Shakespeare's Sonnets, one of the most remarkable collections of poetry, was first published in 1609, 400 years ago by Mr Thomas Thorpe. Naxos AudioBooks marks the occasion with a selection of 80 of the finest, read by leading actors. The selection includes famous ones such as 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day' as well as lesser well-known sonnets though of equally fine stature.

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.

Most of the great Greek stories and epic tales are initiated over women, which is exactly what happens in the very beginning of The Iliad by Homer. The Trojan War has been waging for nearly a decade, and really erupted when Helen, the wife to Menelaos, was kidnapped and thus launched the "thousand ships" in pursuit of her. This is the reason that the Achaians and the Trojans have been fighting each other for so long. Achilles, who has become hero to the Greeks, is given the present of a slave girl for his excellence in battle.

La Vita nuova viene considerata la prima opera certa di Dante (1292-93), è composta di rime (25 sonetti, 4 canzoni, 1 ballata, 1 stanza di canzone) e di capitoli in prosa poetica, cui è affidata la duplice funzione di svolgere l’itinerario autobiografico da cui nascono i versi e di commentarli retoricamente. Al centro della vicenda è l’esperienza d’amore idealizzata del poeta per Beatrice, dai primi incontri con lei si snoda l’intimo memoriale, dapprima profano e “cortese”, poi sempre più agiografico.

Ausgelöst durch Paris' Raub der Helena, der schönsten aller Frauen, herrscht ein jahrelanger Krieg zwischen den Griechen und den Bewohners Trojas. In dramatischen Einzelszenen trifft Mann auf Mann, wird um das Leben von Freunden gekämpft und um Angehörige getrauert. Zusätzlich befeuert wird das grausame Gemetzel vom der persönlichen Fehde des Griechen Achilleus mit seinem Heerführer Agamemnon. Achilleus bittet die Götter um Rache - und sei es um den Preis der eigenen Niederlage.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) and Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) were both regarded as the female poet laureates of their time, and between them their writings spanned almost the entire Victorian age, from the end of Romanticism to the beginnings of Modernism. This selection of their shorter works contains all the major themes that animated them - social justice, faith, love and mortality - and some of the best-loved poetry in English, including "In The Deep Midwinter" and "How Do I Love Thee?"

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.

L’Eneide non è un semplice poema epico ma il quadro di un passaggio fra il vecchio mondo pagano e il nuovo mondo cristiano (nondimentichiamoci infatti che Virgilio è stato la guida di Dante nella Commedia). Solo un poeta dalla ricca vita interiore come Virgilio, e dal potere evocativo dei suoi versi poteva farsi l’interprete di questo passaggio.

The complete collection of Edgar Allan Poe's poems, read by Audie Award-winning actor Peter Noble. Edgar Allan Poe was a writer, poet, editor and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre, and is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States and of American literature. Poe was one of the country's earliest practitioners of the short story and considered to be the inventor of the detective fiction genre, as well as a significant contributor to the emerging genre of science fiction.

Versión en prosa de uno de los clásicos absolutos de la literatura universal: "La Ilíada" de Homero, que narra el rapto de Helena de Troya a manos de Paris y la posterior guerra entre aqueos y troyanos por recuperarla, con la intervención de las diferentes fuerzas de la naturaleza encarnadas por dioses y semidioses. Una lectura capital para todos aquellos aficionados a la Grecia clásica y a la buena literatura.

The Völsunga saga is a legendary saga, a late 13th-century poetic rendition in Old Norse of the origin and decline of the Völsung clan (including the story of Sigurd and Brynhild and the destruction of the Burgundians). It is one of the most famous legendary sagas and an example of a "heroic saga" that deals with Germanic heroic legend. The saga covers topics including the quarrel between Sigi and Skaði, a huge family tree of great kings and powerful conquerors and the quest led by Sigmund and Sinfjǫtli to save princess Signý from the evil king Siggeir.

Presenting a selection of sonnets by William Shakespeare. There are 24 in number in this first selection. They are, in order: 18, 33, 11, 3, 5, 6, 29, 10, 22, 2, 4, 7, 1, 9, 27, 8, 30, 116, 34, 54, 12, 66, 77, 60.

Ce livre audio propose une sélection de vingt-deux poèmes extraits du recueil "Les Fleurs du Mal, Spleen et Idéal" de Charles Baudelaire. À travers ses poèmes, Baudelaire nous fait partager le drame qui se joue en lui et qui n'est autre que la tragédie humaine. Baudelaire, premier poète moderne, donne à la poésie sa véritable dimension : exprimer, par-delà les mots, ce vertige absolu qui s'empare de l'âme. Tout chez lui affirme la nécessité de la souffrance, la fatalité du péché.

The Iliad is an epic Greek poem written by philosopher Homer, and is considered one of the oldest pieces of western literature still in existence. The story takes place during the last weeks of the 10-year Trojan War, with a focus on the quarrels between King Agamemnon and the legendary warrior Achilles. However, this tale's most famous scene is when the Greek's give a gift to the Trojans of a large wooden horse, but one that is filled with soldiers, that allows the Greeks to infiltrate the high walls of the city of Troy.

Ce livre audio donne à entendre 25 textes dits par les plus grands interprètes de Prévert, dont certains intimes comme Simone Signoret. Les textes de Prévert résonnent encore fortement aujourd'hui, touchant toutes les générations. Simples, ses mots viennent du cœur et vont au cœur. Ainsi, l'auteur porte un regard sincère et incisif sur le monde. Révolté, il donne la parole à tous ceux "qui ont trop à dire pour pouvoir le dire".

Rediscover the greatest love poetry ever written. Shakespeare’s sonnets are some of the nation’s favourite lines of verse, but the Elizabethan language can make it difficult to really understand them. Many guides offer to clarify the meaning, but lose the magic of the words by explaining them away. James Anthony has done something boldly different.

La historia de la guerra de Troya. La anecdota suele regodearse sobre la figura legendaria de Homero, supuesto juglar ciego que iba de pueblo en pueblo cantando sus grandes narraciones epicas.

Achilles has quarrelled with Agamemnon and sulks in his tent while Hector brings his Trojans to the brink of victory; but fate will have the last word. While the heroes fight before the walls of Troy the gods have also drawn up battle lines, and it is their disagreements as much as the heroes' efforts which will decide the conflict. Despite the poem's antiquity, the very real, human qualities of the protagonists and their dilemmas make The Iliad immediately accessible.

Narrated in Middle English by J.B. Bessinger, Jr.