In my last post, I wrote about SpokenVerse, a poetry channel on YouTube, and I mentioned at the end the convenience afforded by such a medium for those who enjoy listening to poetry on-the-go. In this post, I’d like to introduce you to something similar: the poetry podcast. There are a number of these available on the web and through directories such as Apple’s iTunes Store. One of my favorites, which I discovered soon after purchasing my first iPod, is Classic Poetry Aloud.
The anonymous podcaster of Classic Poetry Aloud describes it as a podcast “giving voice to the poetry of the past.” Since May 2007, he has uploaded nearly 500 readings—an average of one every 1.5 days. Although the gentleman who reads the poems is English, all are old enough to be in the public domain in the United States, which means that none were composed more recently than World War I or shortly thereafter, making them true classics. The poems include many English classics, including pieces by Romantic poets such as Keats, Byron, and Shelley, as well as later poets such as Tennyson and Kipling. Older poets, including Shakespeare, Milton, Pope, and Donne, are also showcased. There are also well known American poets, including Poe, Dickinson, and Whitman, as well as lesser known poets from both Britain and the United States.
Recent episodes, as well as all the past ones from the Classic Poetry Aloud podcast can be found at http://classicpoetryaloud.podomatic.com, while iTunes carries the 100 most recent episodes. The anonymous podcaster can also be followed on Twitter.
I’m a fan of classic poetry, so I’ve chosen this one to exemplify poetry podcasts, but there is, of course, a wide variety of others. An iTunes search results in hundreds of entries. Many, like Classic Poetry Aloud collect older poems, because they are copyright-free and thus require no royalty fees to be paid, but others showcase modern poets and poetry through interviews and performances. From erotic poetry to political poetry to poetry slams and more, there are podcasts available on the web for nearly every taste.
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