In our 15th programme Lance reads four poems by the first generation of English Romantic poets: Wordsworth’s ‘Daffodils’ and an extract from ‘The Prelude’; and Coleridge’s ‘Kubla Khan’ and ‘My Baptismal Birth-day’.
The short poem ‘Daffodils’ is from Bad Bad Cats, (c) Roger McGough 1997.
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In our 14th programme Lance reads one longer poem: ST Coleridge’s ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’, the most famous literary ballad in English poetry.
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In our 13th programme Lance reads four Ballads, and there is one traditional song. The song is ‘The Ballad of Barbara Allen’. The traditional Ballads are ‘Sir Patrick Spens’ and ‘Get up and Bar the Door’. The literary Ballads are John Keats’ ‘La Belle Dame Sans Merci’ and Charles Causley’s ‘Ballad of the Bread Man’.
Acknowledgements
‘Ballad of the Bread Man’ by Charles Causley is recorded by kind permission of the copyright holders’ agents, David Higham Associates.
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The Ballad of Barbara Allen
In Scarlet Town where I was born
There was a fair maid dwelling,
Made every youth cry ‘Well-a-day’;
Her name was Barbara Allen.
All in the merry month of May
When green buds they were swelling,
Young Jemmy Grove on his deathbed lay
For love of Barbara Allen.
He sent his man unto her then
To the town where she was dwelling.
‘You must come to my master dear,
If your name be Barbara Allen.’
So slowly, slowly she came up,
And slowly she came nigh him.
And all she said when there she came:
‘Young man, I think you’re dying.’
He turned his face unto her straight,
With deadly sorrow sighing:
‘O lovely maid, come pity me;
I’m on my deathbed lying.’
‘If on your deathbed you do lie,
What needs the tale you’re telling?
I cannot keep you from your death.
Farewell,’ said Barbara Allen.
When he was dead and laid in grave,
Her heart was struck with sorrow.
‘O mother, mother, make my bed,
For I shall die tomorrow.’
‘Farewell,’ she said, ‘ye virgins all,
And shun that fault I fell in.
Henceforth take warning by the fall
Of cruel Barbara Allen.’
In our ninth programme we enjoy some poems written for children. Lance picks out five of his favourites: ‘The Owl and the Pussy Cat’ by Edward Lear, ‘Jabberwocky’ by Lewis Carroll, ‘The King’s Breakfast’ by A A Milne, ‘The Listeners’ by Walter de la Mare and ‘After Ever Happily’ by Ian Serraillier.
Acknowledgements:
Find more of Heidi Swedberg’s ukulele playing on Youtube or at her website.
‘The King’s Breakfast’ by A A Milne. (c) Text by A.A. Milne
‘The Listeners’ by Walter de la Mare. With thanks to the Literary Trustees of Walter de la Mare and The Society of Authors as their Representative.
‘After Ever Happily’ by Ian Serraillier. (c) Estate of Ian Serraillier
Buy Lance’s poetry CDs at his website
The picture of the Owl and the Pussycat is by Bob Bond. See more of his work here
Download: Programme 9
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In our eighth programme we look at Wordsworth’s famous poem ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802.’ That poem is the climax of Lance’s Guided Poetry Walk along the Banks of the Thames. One of the things Lance shows visitors is a series of paving stones with poem extracts that are on the walkway near the Festival Hall. So on this program Lance reads all four paving stone poems before finishing with Wordsworth’s famous words – just as he does on the walk!
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In our seventh programme we look at three of the so-called Metaphysical Poets. ‘The Baite’ by John Donne, ‘To His Coy Mistress’ by Andrew Marvell, ‘The Pulley’ by George Herbert and ‘Holy Sonnet X’ by John Donne.
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The Baite by John Donne
‘To His Coy Mistress’ by Andrew Marvell
‘The Pulley’ by George Herbert
Holy Sonnet X (Death be not proud) by John Donne
In our sixth programme we read our first listener-nominated poem – ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Since he wrote it while he was Poet Laureate Lance also reads two other poems by famous holders of that office. ’14th November 1973′ by John Betjeman – on the occasion of Princess Anne’s wedding to Mark Phillips. And Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘Last Post’ – written to commemorate the deaths of two veterans of the First World War.
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‘Last Post’ from 1914: Poetry Remembers by Carol Ann Duffy. Publilshed by Faber & Faber, 2015. Copyright (c) Carol Ann Duffy. Recorded by permission of the author c/o Rogers, Coleridge & White Ltd, 20 Powis Mews, London W11 1JN
In our third programme focusing on Lance’s favourite poems we come to his number one choice. George Herbert’s ‘Love (III).’
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You can find Lance’s poetry CDs here
The music at the end of the podcast can be found here. Love Bade Me Welcome (Five Mystical Songs) by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Jamie W. Hall – Bass baritone. Richard McVeigh – Piano.
In our second of three programmes we hear another of Lance’s favourite poems. Gerard Manley Hopkins’ ‘Epithalamion.’
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Frank Skinner’s Poetry Podcast episode on Hopkins’ poem ‘The Windhover’ can be found here
Find out more about The Hopkins Society here
You can find Lance’s Hopkins CDs here or listen to his Hopkins podcast here
The Poetry Podcast with Lance Pierson 