William Blake.  From "Milton".

William Blake. From "Milton".

Author: Poetry from the Jungle from The Ceylon Press January 18, 2025 Duration: 1:41

And did those feet in ancient time  
   Walk upon England’s mountains green?  
And was the holy Lamb of God  
   On England’s pleasant pastures seen?  
  
And did the Countenance Divine     
   Shine forth upon our clouded hills?  
And was Jerusalem builded here  
   Among these dark Satanic Mills?  
  
Bring me my bow of burning gold!  
   Bring me my arrows of desire!  
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!  
   Bring me my chariot of fire!  
  
I will not cease from mental fight,  
   Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,  
Till we have built Jerusalem    
   In England’s green and pleasant land.


There's a particular magic in the poem that almost made it, the one that lingers just outside the canonical spotlight. 101 Exiles from The Ceylon Press is a quiet space dedicated to those verses. Each episode of this Poetry from the Jungle podcast is a curated listening experience, focusing on a single, remarkable work by an acclaimed poet that, for whatever reason, never quite cracked the ubiquitous "top 100" lists. You won't find grand introductions or academic dissections here. Instead, the focus is on the language itself-the rhythm, the imagery, the quiet turn of phrase that deserves a moment of undivided attention. It's for anyone who believes the most resonant lines are sometimes found in the margins, offering a different kind of discovery in the world of verse. This podcast provides a sanctuary for those exiled poems, letting them speak for themselves directly to the listener.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 32

101 Exiles
Podcast Episodes
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In among the silver birches,Winding ways of tarmac wanderAnd the signs to Bussock Bottom,Tussock Wood and Windy Break.Gabled lodges, tile-hung churchesCatch the lights of our LagondaAs we drive to Wendy’s party,Lemon cur…
Philip Larkin.  Aubade. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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C. P. Cavafy.  Ionian. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12
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Philip Larkin.   Going, Going. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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John Betjeman.  In Westminster Abbey. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:26
Let me take this other glove offAs the vox humana swells,And the beauteous fields of EdenBask beneath the Abbey bells.Here, where England's statesmen lie,Listen to a lady's cry.Gracious Lord, oh bomb the Germans,Spare th…
Philip Larkin.  The Trees. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20
The trees are coming into leafLike something almost being said;The recent buds relax and spread,Their greenness is a kind of grief.Is it that they are born againAnd we grow old? No, they die too,Their yearly trick of loo…
John Betjeman.  Inexpensive Progress. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:30
Encase your legs in nylons,Bestride your hills with pylonsO age without a soul;Away with gentle willowsAnd all the elmy billowsThat through your valleys roll.Let's say goodbye to hedgesAnd roads with grassy edgesAnd wind…
C. P. Cavafy.  Waiting For The Barbarians. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:33
What are we waiting for, assembled in the forum? The barbarians are due here today.Why isn’t anything going on in the senate?Why are the senators sitting there without legislating? Because the barbarians are coming today…
Philip Larkin.  Born Yesterday. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33
Tightly-folded bud,I have wished you somethingNone of the others would:Not the usual stuffAbout being beautiful,Or running off a springOf innocence and love —They will all wish you that,And should it prove possible,Well,…
Rupert Brooke.  The Hill. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:43
Breathless, we flung us on the windy hill,Laughed in the sun, and kissed the lovely grass.You said, "Through glory and ecstasy we pass;Wind, sun, and earth remain, the birds sing still,When we are old, are old. . . ." "A…