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.
A Child's Garden of Verses was my favorite growing up. My mother read from it often. I still have the copy with the illustrations by Jesse Wilcox Smith. RLS is one of my favorite authors, but unfortunately it didn't take with the next generation.
Thank you for these - I didnj't realise my favourite most achingly beautiful CD, 'Hirta Songs' IS Robin Robertson with Alistair Roberts. As soon as I heard his voice I knew... so now it's off to find everything by this soulful poet.....
Thank you so much for introducing Robin Robertson to me. A heart shaker of a poem! And what a very haunting reading of my favourite Yeats poem. Both make my scalp tingle.
I am the same, I noticed a few years back, that I love reading from women but a lot of the poetry I love is from men, I think, for me, it's that part of being a woman that we somehow can't reach or feel the exact same way as a man. So hearing it from men soothes the soul in some way 🤔
Robin Robertson. I could listen to him read that poem for an eternity. And then I’d listen again. If there are secret places in the quiet dark pools of my soul, seal places, scaled places, they opened their ears and eyes at this piece. Just gorgeous and fierce and divinely pure. Thank you for sharing, Sharon.
I wanted to add an additional comment about favorite poets. I am a woman, in the US, over 50 and I also find that most of my favorite poems are by men. Some of this was likely due to the predominance of male poets taught when I was in school, but some of it may be subject matter. I prefer the mythic, the poem that focuses on nature, and not confessional or relationship-based material. There are women who write in those areas, AE Stallings is an excellent formalist poet, and even confessional poets like Plath and Sexton worked on natural or mythic subject at times, but temperament and taste definitely plays a role in this.
This is wonderful, and I especially appreciate the reminder of Robertson's work. I'm in the US and while I have had a copy of "Swithering" for years, I'm so overwhelmed with books and projects and online classes that I hadn't really spent time with it. But this poem is magnificent and now I will look for more of his work.
I liked these poems Sharon, particularly the first one, an old favourite and read so well. I had not heard of Robert Robertson before and will look him out. I know of the selkies and recall a puppet play at Findhorn some time back. These readings will go into my bibliotherapy studies where I have found that poetry comes just above novels as our helpmeet. More on this at my coming weekend ESREA conference I hope which I was feeling daunted by. Thank you for this.
I’ve just purchased “Grimoire” after listening to Robin Robertson. Wow! A dark, fantastical, shape shifting book.
Loved all 3 readings and they all link to topics I've been studying recently; such is the way life is working out at the moment.
A Child's Garden of Verses was my favorite growing up. My mother read from it often. I still have the copy with the illustrations by Jesse Wilcox Smith. RLS is one of my favorite authors, but unfortunately it didn't take with the next generation.
Thank you for these - I didnj't realise my favourite most achingly beautiful CD, 'Hirta Songs' IS Robin Robertson with Alistair Roberts. As soon as I heard his voice I knew... so now it's off to find everything by this soulful poet.....
Thank you so much for introducing Robin Robertson to me. A heart shaker of a poem! And what a very haunting reading of my favourite Yeats poem. Both make my scalp tingle.
Thank you Sharon, listening to each poem was an interesting experience - leaving space for my thoughts, feelings and of course rereads.
I am the same, I noticed a few years back, that I love reading from women but a lot of the poetry I love is from men, I think, for me, it's that part of being a woman that we somehow can't reach or feel the exact same way as a man. So hearing it from men soothes the soul in some way 🤔
Robin Robertson. I could listen to him read that poem for an eternity. And then I’d listen again. If there are secret places in the quiet dark pools of my soul, seal places, scaled places, they opened their ears and eyes at this piece. Just gorgeous and fierce and divinely pure. Thank you for sharing, Sharon.
I always think that listening to poetry being read out loud is a special kind of privilege. Thank you for these beautiful listens 🧡
I wanted to add an additional comment about favorite poets. I am a woman, in the US, over 50 and I also find that most of my favorite poems are by men. Some of this was likely due to the predominance of male poets taught when I was in school, but some of it may be subject matter. I prefer the mythic, the poem that focuses on nature, and not confessional or relationship-based material. There are women who write in those areas, AE Stallings is an excellent formalist poet, and even confessional poets like Plath and Sexton worked on natural or mythic subject at times, but temperament and taste definitely plays a role in this.
Yes, I think that might be part of it for me, too, if I look at the poets I especially admire.
This is wonderful, and I especially appreciate the reminder of Robertson's work. I'm in the US and while I have had a copy of "Swithering" for years, I'm so overwhelmed with books and projects and online classes that I hadn't really spent time with it. But this poem is magnificent and now I will look for more of his work.
This was an amazing collection of amazing poetry. Thank you Sharon for the opportunity to hear these poems, each so perfectly read.
That last one - gave me shivers. So stark.
I liked these poems Sharon, particularly the first one, an old favourite and read so well. I had not heard of Robert Robertson before and will look him out. I know of the selkies and recall a puppet play at Findhorn some time back. These readings will go into my bibliotherapy studies where I have found that poetry comes just above novels as our helpmeet. More on this at my coming weekend ESREA conference I hope which I was feeling daunted by. Thank you for this.