Poetry intermission

In conversation with a friend recently, the subject of favourite poems read by the right people came up. And so it occurred to me to share with you three of the audio recordings I love best (well, in two cases, video recordings) in which poems are being read by people who – to me, at least – seem perfect for them.

As I was writing this, it also struck me that almost all of my favourite poets are men. Not all, but most. That if I were to give you a list of my favourite dozen poems, for example, men would have written significantly more than half. Whereas, when it comes to fiction, I’m mostly interested in reading novels by women. I’m not really sure why that should be the case; it’s certainly not from lack of exposure, because I’ve been reading both fiction and poetry ever since I was a small child. (Although I inhaled poetry from the moment I began to read, the very first poetry book I actually owned was proudly presented to me by my mother when I was the grand age of eight: Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses. And how I loved that book!) Something to ponder in the dog days of summer which stretch ahead.

In the meantime, I really hope you enjoy these offerings.

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1. ‘The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock’ by T.S. Eliot, read by Jeremy Irons

I find much of Eliot’s poetry overly abstract and intellectualised. But this one, filled with regret and disillusion is one of the most haunting – and beautifully constructed – that I’ve ever read. It’s interesting that it’s the first poem he wrote that was professionally published. And Jeremy Irons’ slightly jaded voice is the perfect match for it.

Listen here

2. ‘The Song of Wandering Aengus’ by W.B. Yeats, read by Michael Gambon

This poem captured my heart as a child who devoured Yeats’ poetry from a very early age., and it’s still firmly lodged in there. The ageing Gambon fills it with magic.

Watch here

3. ‘At Roane Head’, by Robin Robertson, read by Robin Robertson

And I’m certainly saving the best for last. This poem shakes me every time I read it or hear it: a haunting revisioning of selkie stories. Robertson is one of my favourite contemporary poets; if you’re not familiar with his poetry, it’s certainly worth tracking some down.

Watch here