597. The Poplar Field by William Cowper

597. The Poplar Field by William Cowper

Author: Classic Poetry Aloud November 15, 2013 Duration: 1:54
William Cowper read by Classic Poetry Aloud www.classicpoetryaloud.com Twitter: @classicpoetry Facebook: www.facebook.com/poetryaloud Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------- The Poplar Field by William Cowper (1731 – 1800) The poplars are fell'd! farewell to the shade And the whispering sound of the cool colonnade; The winds play no longer and sing in the leaves, Nor Ouse on his bosom their image receives. Twelve years have elapsed since I last took a view Of my favourite field, and the bank where they grew; And now in the grass behold they are laid, And the tree is my seat that once lent me a shade! The blackbird has fled to another retreat Where the hazels afford him a screen from the heat, And the scene where his melody charm'd me before Resounds with his sweet-flowing ditty no more. My fugitive years are all hasting away, And I must ere long lie as lowly as they, With a turf on my breast and a stone at my head, Ere another such grove shall arise in its stead. The change both my heart and my fancy employs, I reflect on the frailty of man and his joys; Short-lived as we are, yet our pleasures, we see, Have a still shorter date, and die sooner than we. Reading © Classic Poetry Aloud, 2008.

There’s a particular magic that happens when a great poem is spoken aloud, a texture and rhythm that can sometimes be missed on the page. Classic Poetry Aloud is built on that simple, powerful idea. Each episode is a quiet moment devoted to a single, timeless work, read clearly and without distraction. You’ll hear the familiar cadences of Shakespeare and Wordsworth alongside perhaps lesser-known voices from centuries past, all selected from a growing library that serves as a rich resource for aficionados and newcomers alike. This podcast strips away analysis and commentary, focusing purely on the spoken word. The intention is to make these works more accessible, allowing the listener to be swept up in the original language, the metre, and the emotion as intended by the poet. It’s an experience that often deepens appreciation, revealing new layers in a sonnet you thought you knew or introducing you to a stunning piece you’d never encountered. Tuning in to Classic Poetry Aloud is like having a private, ever-expanding anthology of the world’s finest verse, ready to be heard whenever you need a moment of reflection, beauty, or solace.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 50

Classic Poetry Aloud
Podcast Episodes
601. Written in Northampton County Asylum by John Clare [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:47
John Clare read by Classic Poetry Aloud www.classicpoetryaloud.com Twitter: @classicpoetry Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poetryaloud Giving voice to the poetry of the past. ------------------------------------------…
600. Adlestrop by Edward Thomas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26
Edward Thomas read by Classic Poetry Aloud: www.classicpoetryaloud.com Twitter:@classicpoetry Facebook: www.facebook.com/poetryaloud Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------- Adlestr…
599. The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:08
Alfred, Lord Tennyson read by Classic Poetry Aloud www.classicpoetryaloud.com Twitter: @classicpoetry Facebook: www.facebook.com/poetryaloud Giving voice to the poetry of the past. ---------------------------------------…
598. The Darkling Thrush by Thomas Hardy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:44
Thomas Hardy read by Classic Poetry Aloud www.classicpoetryaloud.com Twitter: @classicpoetry Facebook: www.facebook.com/poetryaloud Giving voice to the poetry of the past. -------------------------------------- The Darkl…
596. Count That Day Lost by George Eliot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00
George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) read by Classic Poetry Aloud: www.classicpoetryaloud.com Twitter: @classicpoetry Facebook: www.facebook.com/poetryaloud Giving voice to the poetry of the past. ------------------------------…
595. The Way Through the Woods by Rudyard Kipling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23
Rudyard Kipling read by Classic Poetry Aloud http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com Twitter: @classicpoetry Facebook: www.facebook.com/poetryaloud Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------…
594. Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27
Wilfred Owen read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com Giving voice to the poetry of the past. -------------------------------------- Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen (1893 – 1918) What passi…
593. Ah, how sweet it is to love by John Dryden [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24
John Dryden read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------- Ah, how sweet it is to love by John Dryden (1631 – 1700) Ah, how…
592. from The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:01
Oscar Wilde read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------- from The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900) He…
591. Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33
Ella Wheeler Wilcox read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------- Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850 – 1919) Laugh, and…