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
590. Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:26
Wilfred Owen read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://classicpoetryaloud.com Giving voice to poetry of the past. ----------------------------------- Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen Bent double, like old beggars under sa…
589. Invictus by William Ernest Henley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04
William Ernest Henley read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------- Invictus by William Ernest Henley (1849 – 1903) Out of…
588. How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26
Elizabeth Barrett Browning read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com Giving voice to the poetry of the past. -------------------------------------- How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning…
587. O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:05
Walt Whitman read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com Giving voice to poetry of the past. ----------------------------------- O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman (1819 – 1892) O CAPTAIN! my Capt…
586. To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:44
Andrew Marvell read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------- To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell Had we but world enough…
585. Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:20
Coleridge read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------- Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge In Xanadu did Kubla Khan A s…
584. Surrender by Emily Dickinson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:59
Emily Dickinson read by Classic Poetry Aloud http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com Giving voice to the poetry of the past. -------------------------------------- Surrender by Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886) Doubt me, my dim co…
583. My True Love Hath My Heart by Sir Philip Sidney [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06
Sir Philip Sidney read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com Giving voice to the poetry of the past. -------------------------------------- My True Love Hath My Heart From Arcadia by Sir Philip Sidne…
582. Show me the Way by Ella Wheeler Wilcox [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:40
Wilcox read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com Giving voice to the poetry of the past. -------------------------------------- Show me the Way by Ella Wheeler Wilcox Show me the way that leads to t…
581. Nature and Art by Alexander Pope [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:44
Alexander Pope read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com Giving voice to the poetry of the past. -------------------------------------- Nature and Art from An Essay on Criticism: Part 1 by Alexander…