Classic Style

A narrative poem of 14 stanzas, written by Lord Byron following a visit to the Château of Chillon on Lake Geneva in 1816. It was inspired by the story of 16th-century Swiss monk and patriot François Bonivard, held captive in the dungeons of Chillon between 1532 and 1536.

A collection of classic Hiawatha tales from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, read by Harry Fleetwood.

This is a story from the Canterbury Tales III: Modern Verse Translation collection.

A collection of classic literature that features erotic dreams including "The Eve of St. Agnes", "Erotica Romana", and "A Last Confession".

Eine große Empfehlung für alle, die sich schon mit dem komplizierten Thema der Liebe auseinandergesetzt haben. Die Liebe ist eines der beliebtesten Themen der Weltliteratur. Ein Meister dieses Genres war Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. In seiner schönen, bildhaften Sprache berührte er damals wie heute das Herz vieler Menschen. Goethes schönste Liebesgedichte werden mitfühlend vorgelesen von Maren Eggert und Werner Wölbern.

"Ex Oblivione" is a prose poem by American horror fiction writer H. P. Lovecraft, written in late 1920 or early 1921 and first published in The United Amateur in March 1921, under the pseudonym Ward Phillips. It is written in first person and tells of the dreams of a presumably dying man. In his dreams, the man is walking through a valley and encounters a vine-covered wall with a locked bronze gate therein. He longs to know what lies beyond the gate.

Steeped in history, culture and traditions, London remains one of the largest and most populous cities on the planet. Small wonder then, that some of history's greatest poets have been inspired by it.

La misteriosa visita de un cuervo parlante a la casa de un amante afligido, y del lento descenso hacia la locura de este último. El amante, que a menudo se ha identificado como un estudiante, llora la pérdida de su amada, Leonora. El cuervo negro, posado sobre un busto de Palas Atenea, parece azuzar su sufrimiento con la constante repetición de las palabras «Nunca más».

In this haunting poem, a guest on his way to a wedding reception is stopped by the Ancient Mariner. With his "glittering eye" he transfixes the guest and then relates a compelling tale of a sea voyage fraught with strange happenings. The Mariner tells of journeying through tyrannous storms to ice mast-high, through mist and snow to the deadly inertia of the doldrums. There are unearthly visitations, ill omens, and supernatural happenings - all leading to the revelation of the Mariner's strange fate.

The Iliad of Homer is the earliest work of European literature that we have. Created in the eighth century BC it has continued to arouse interest for over 2000 years. The author intended it to be heard, as delivered by a bard or rhapsode who had made the presentation of Greek epic poetry his profession, and who had command of the vocal resources and the dramatic power to move his audience.

It's never been easy to be a hero. When Beowulf arrives at Hrothgar's hall, he discovers that the hall is beset by Grendel, an evil creature that kills and pillages with impunity. Beowulf, in heroic fashion, bests Grendel in combat, then follows Grendel back to his lair to finish the job.

This epic poem by Edmund Spenser is the longest poem in the English language. It is an allegorical work, written in praise of Queen Elizabeth I. Michael MacLiammoir reads a selection from Book III.

The 98-stanza meter-and-rhyme translation of "Legenda Luceafarului" - an entrancing masterpiece by Mihai Eminescu (1850-1889), the Romanian national poet - captures the essence of the original work's musicality and poetic nuance. It is the story of a young princess' longing and impossible love for the immortal star who, sharing her love, takes human form and tries to become mortal.

The Georgics was published in 29 BCE, and is the second major work by the Latin poet Virgil. Its a fascinating insight into rural life and farming of the time.

"Annabel Lee" is the last complete poem by Edgar Allan Poe. Like many of Poe's poems, it explores the theme of the death of a beautiful woman. The narrator, who fell in love with Annabel Lee when they were young, has a love for her so strong that even angels are jealous. He retains his love for her even after her death.

Perhaps Poe's most famous work, "The Raven" was first published in 1845 in the New York Evening Mirror. Known for its tight rhymes and rhythm and the repetitive response given by the eponymous raven - "nevermore" - the poem focuses on that raven and a forlorn man who is distraught over his lost lover, Lenore.

"Der Rabe" (im englischen Original "The Raven") ist ein erzählendes Gedicht des US-amerikanischen Schriftstellers Edgar Allan Poe, hier in der deutschen Übersetzung von Carl Theodor Eben und eingesprochen von Kim Jens Witzenleiter. Untermalt mit der Musik von Michael Donner.

La Epopeya de Gilgamesh o Poema de Gilgamesh es una narración de origen sumerio, considerada como la narraciónescrita más antigua de la historia. Se emplearon tablillas de arcilla y escritura cuneiforme, lo cual favoreció su preservación. Las 12 tablillas sumerias datadas entre 2750-2600 A.C. en las que aparecen los poemas que relatan las grandes epopeyasde Gilgamesh, lo ubican como un rey divinizado de la ciudad sumeria de Uruk. Se considera a éste poema la obra literariareligiosa más importante de la literatura acadia y la primera de las grandes epopeyas literarias de la humanidad.