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Æsop in Rhyme, with Some Originals

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Chapter: 71 | Listen: 2

Jefferys Taylor was born in 1792 in Suffolk, England. He became apprenticed to his father who was an engraver and invented a special ruling machine for engravers but went on to emulate his mother who was a children’s writer. His books include favourites like Harry’s Holliday or the Doings of One Who had Nothing to Do and The Little Historians. This book “Aesop in Rhyme” published in 1820, contains 58 of Aesop’s Fables which he has retold in verse as well as 13 original fables of his own. Each is illustrated with an engraving which though uncredited he probably drew himself. He died in 1853. (Summary by Noel Badrian) [chương_files]

Judgement of Valhalla

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Chapter: 20 | Listen: 2

Gilbert Frankau was a prolific and popular British novelist who wrote both in prose and verse and had fifty works published over a fifty year period. He is considered one of the war poets of World War I. This collection of his poems, published in 1918, reflect his experiences which included fighting in some of the major battles of the war at Loos, Ypres and the Somme. Summary by Nemo. [chương_files]

Windfall and Waterdrift

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Chapter: 2 | Listen: 1

This little square book, the colour of meadow forget-me-nots, is so modest and simple that it may very easily be passed over in a period which has little sympathy with tenderness of feeling and simplicity of expression. The verses, of which this small volume is full, resemble the stornelli and rispetti of Italian songs rather than any kind of verse which has preceded them in English literature, unless it be the earliest and briefest songs of Robert Lytton, with which they have a certain kindred, both in their measure and in their themes. Auberon Herbert is known to the world as a daring and original thinker, a sociologist who lives three centuries before his time, a fearless preacher of new liberties and ideal creeds; in this tiny azure booklet he is also a poet, or, as he would rather himself say, a singer. The verse springs from the depths of his heart, and calls to those who, like himself, have loved and suffered and found nothing endure except the consolations of natural beauty. (Ouida, 1900) – Summary by Arthur Krolman [chương_files]

Poems (1686)

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Chapter: 24 | Listen:

These are the original, tender and thoughtful poems of a young female artist who lived and died in seventeenth century London — only 70 years after William Shakespeare. Her diction is readily accessible to listeners after almost 350 years and the subjects on her mind we can imagine on the minds of educated young women today. She writes often of love, broken hearts and the beauty of reason and self-control — as if she knew the Age of Enlightenment was just around the corner. She also opines intelligently and optimistically on death and the soul although she mentions God seldomly. More commonly she betrays her familiarity with Ovid referencing Greek nymphs and heroes while projecting herself in the scene in a charming girlish way. Her poetic prowess was noticed by critics who openly doubted a mere girl could write with such touching originality on her own. Her rejoinder verse in this collection shows admirable restraint and conclusivity. One only wonders what would have followed as she matured and what artistic output of Miss Killigrew the world has done without. She died of smallpox in her twenty-fifth year. – Summary by Arthur Krolman [chương_files]

India’s Love Lyrics

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Chapter: 12 | Listen:

The poetry of Adela Florence Cory aka Violet Nicolson, is some of the most unique and passionate in the English language. Under the pen name of Laurence Hope, her works were extremely popular in the early years of the 20th century, inspiring popular music, lovers, silent films and even the creation of Shalimar perfume. Her work wades fearlessly into issues of racism, same sex attraction, violence and taboo love, but also transports the reader to a vibrant India of another era, with it’s exotic peoples, flora, fauna, folklore and larger than life landscapes and intrigues. Even so, Hope’s work has the delicacy of fine literature, with the matchless phrasing, rhyming and structure that marks the true poet. Mixing the confessional overtones of the French poetes maudites and British Aesthetes with the sounds and flavors of the Far East, critics of her day likened her to “a decadent Kipling”. Like Elizabeth Browning, Hope’s title “India’s Love Lyrics” gave the impression she was transcribing the tempestuous poetry of another culture; it is now understood that the work was her own, though she was fluent in Urdu and was certainly inspired by the language and song traditions of the great Subcontinent where she spent her adult life. It is only by an accident of academic oversight that Hope is now hardly known to the public, as 19th century male academics deemed her work “too purple” to be canonized in the same way her peer Kipling was. Her work is now out of print, […]

Gardener

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Chapter: 17 | Listen:

Most of the lyrics of love and life, the translations of which from Bengali are published in this book, were written much earlier than the series of religious poems contained in the book named Gitanjali. The translations are not always literal—the originals being sometimes abridged and sometimes paraphrased. (The preface to the 1915 edition) ( Rabindranath Tagore) [chương_files]

Ventures into Verse

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Chapter: 33 | Listen:

Better known for his biting satire, Mencken’s first book was this small volume of verses. – Summary by Larry Wilson [chương_files]

Lover’s Diary

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Chapter: 84 | Listen: 2

A collection of 83 rather besotted love sonnets by Gilbert Parker, written early in his career, with an accompanying interesting and someone apologetic Introduction by the author himself. Sir Gilbert Parker, as he came to be known, went on to become politically active, as well as a great story-teller, prolific novelist, and mature poet, centering his stories in the area of Quebec, Canada. See more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Gilbert_Parker,_1st_Baronet( Michele Fry) [chương_files]

Rhymes of the Rockies

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Chapter: 32 | Listen: 2

The author worked as a dude wrangler Glacier National Park and lived on his ranch near Eureka, Monatana. This is the first book of his poems, which he often recited for the tourists. His other books include, “Giggles from Glacier Guides” and “Mountain Memories.” – Summary by Larry Wilson [chương_files]

Amores: Poems

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Chapter: 60 | Listen: 1

Amores is one of D. H. Lawrence’s earliest works of poetry, published in 1916, was a precursor to his delving in free verse in later collections. The poems in this collection are characterized by haunting and dark themes, sensuousness and his controversial dealing with sexual topics. (Anusha Iyer) [chương_files]