English Poetry

From the Booker Prize-winning author of ‘Offshore’ comes this unusual romance between the poet Novalis and his fiancée Sophie, newly introduced by Candia McWilliam. The year is 1794 and Fritz, passionate, idealistic and brilliant, is seeking his father’s permission to announce his...

Hojoki is an introspective poem written in the 13th century by the enigmatic Japanese hermit Kamo no Chomei, who as a young man served in the capital as official court poet, but later in life withdrew from society.

Poet, writer, and Instagram sensation Nikita Gill returns with a collection of fairytales poetically retold for a new generation of women. Traditional fairytales are rife with cliches and gender stereotypes: beautiful, silent princesses; ugly, jealous, and bitter villainesses; girls who need...

Ideal for sharing on a journey or at bedtime, this collection includes eight entertaining animal stories: Christine's cornflakes, The dirty dinosaur, The race, Where's Teddy?, Stop it!, No room for Panda, Nigel's toothache, Indoor sports...

Argonautika is the story of Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. This epic story of gods and goddesses, mythical beasts, thrilling adventures, and narrow escapes may be the oldest surviving Greek myth, which Homer referred to as something "familiar to all." Listen to this masterpiece of classical literature in an all-new translation that captures the timeless magic and quiet humor of this ancient legend.

The Iliad, set 9 years into the Trojan War, tells the story of the wrath of Achilles. The Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus as he wearily travels home from the war. The two epics provide the basis of Greek education and culture in the classical age. They have long remained among the most significant poems of European tradition. Produced here in full cast arrangement and narrated by Rob Goll, one can experience these age-old stories in a brand new way.

Melody Godfred explores concepts like authenticity, surrender, resilience, gratitude, believing in yourself, and of course, love, through 100 pairs of poems, each dedicated to a central theme. The first poem in each pair is a "thinker" poem that lights up the analytical, more literal left side of the brain, and the second poem is a companion "feeler" poem that speaks to the creative, more emotional right side of the brain. Combined, the poems electrify the mind, body, and soul through a completely unique poetry experience that inspires each of us to embrace all parts of ourselves.

Renowned for his profound connection with the English countryside, and his introspective exploration of nature, morality and the human condition, this beautifully curated collection showcases Edward Thomas’s poetry at its very best. Steeped in a quiet beauty and touching melancholy, Thomas’s verse takes its readers through fields, along hedgerows and down lonely lanes, pausing to meditate on time, loss and the fragility of life.

In the days of Samuel, Israel’s worst enemy is the Philistines: bloodthirsty worshippers of Dagon the fish god. Goliath is but one member of an elite warrior cult of six giants, The Sons of Rapha, whose sole ambition is to kill the promised messiah king of Israel. As David rises, he must flee the demon-possessed King Saul, avoid assassination, withstand the seduction of a Philistine queen, conquer the last of the giants in Israel and overcome his own weakness for many wives.

“The poet is endemic with life itself,” Will Alexander once said, and in this searing pas de trois, Refractive Africa: Ballet of the Forgotten, he has exemplified this vital candescence with a transpersonal amplification worthy of the Cambrian explosion. “This being the ballet of the forgotten,” he writes as diasporic witness, “of refracted boundary points as venom.” The volume’s opening poem pays homage to the innovative Nigerian-Yoruban author Amos Tutuola; it ends with an encomium to the modernist Malagasy poet Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo.

A family reunification, Pixie dreams, and seeking change. Just what is it to be a man? Some of the thoughts raised in Drummond's latest poetry. The use of false prophecy to steer men's souls, what it is to fall in and out of love, and lastly, songs are hearts sometimes sing.

This collection of John Milton's finest poetry offers an ideal overview of his work. It is read by several of Britain's foremost classical actors, including Anton Lesser, Samantha Bond and Derek Jacobi. Milton's uncompromising views set him firmly on the side of Cromwell, putting his life in danger when the Stuart monarchy was restored.

The poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke addresses the issues of God, death, and "destructive time." Rilke tries to transform these problems into an inner world, what he calls "a whole inner world as if an angel, comprehending all space, were blind and looking into himself." Eminent author and translator Stephen Mitchell brings these ideas vividly to life in this new translation of Rilke's most transcendent works.

The Knight's Tale of medieval wars and chivalry is the first tale told to the pilgrims as they set out to Canterbury. It concerns Theseus, returning from fighting at Thebes, and two brother knights Palamon and Arcite, imprisoned but yearning for their loves. But the real hero of this recording is Richard Bebb who, with the help of Professor Derek Brewer, the leading expert on Chaucerian pronunciation, make the original Middle English not only comprehensible to the modern ear, but exciting.

The Theogony (composed c. 700 BC) is a poem by Hesiod (8th-7th century BC) describing the origins and genealogies of the Greek gods. A theogony is a part of Greek mythology which attempts to articulate reality as a whole. Hesiod's work is a synthesis of various local Greek traditions concerning the gods, organized as a narrative that tells of their origin and how they established control over the Cosmos.

Echoes of an Old World: An English Spirit in New England is a collection of poems by Elizabeth Stansfield Hunter, edited by her grandson, David Hunter Kennedy. The book reflects Elizabeth’s deep connection to both her Victorian English heritage and her life in New England, capturing themes of nature, family, love, and loss. Written between the 1920s and 1960s, the poems explore the beauty of nature, the joys and trials of life, and the devastating impact of losing her son during World War II.

Paul Laurence Dunbar was born on 27th June 1872 in Dayton, Ohio. His parents had been slaves in Kentucky before the Civil War. Dunbar wrote his first poem at age six and gave his first public recital at age nine. By 16, he was already published as a poet in The Herald, a local newspaper. After completing his formal schooling in 1891, Dunbar was employed as an elevator operator, at four dollars a week. His hopes of a legal career floundered on a lack of funds and racial discrimination. However, he wrote his poetry and took every opportunity to publish.

"Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year is not just for Christmas, but for all time." —Helena Bonham Carter A magnificent collection of 365 passages from Shakespeare's works, for the Shakespeare scholar and neophyte alike. Make Shakespeare a part of your daily routine with Shakespeare for...

When words of love do not come to you on their own, then listen to these letters. Complete, actual love letters of great men like Lord Byron, John Keats, and Voltaire. Leaders like Henry VIII, George Washington, and Napoléon, who wrote to his beloved Joséphine, "I awake consumed with thoughts of you...." Artists like van Gogh, Mozart, and Beethoven, who famously penned, "Though still in bed, my thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved...."

In this recording, Plath reads "Black Rook in Rainy Weather," "A Secret, Stopped Dead," "A Birthday Present," "November Graveyard," "Medusa," "The Disquieting Muses," "The Stones," and "Cut."