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81 Famous Poems cover art

81 Famous Poems

Written by: William Shakespeare,John Donne,Robert Herricks
Narrated by: Alexander Scourby,Nancy Wickwire,Bramwell Fletcher
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Publisher's Summary

Listen to the sound of English as it was meant to be heard.

This collection of timeless British and American poems is an experience to be treasured. The readings, by brilliant classic actors Alexander Scourby, Nancy Wickwire, and Bramwell Fletcher, are presented in the order they appear in The Norton Anthology of Poetry, Third Edition, and are selected for their ability to delight. The poetry is also among the most anthologized verse in the English language.

Included are such best-loved works as Shakespeare's "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?", John Donne's "Go and Catch a Falling Star", Robert Herrick's "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time", Robert Burns' "A Red, Red Rose", John Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn", Walt Whitman's "O Captain, My Captain", and William Butler Yeats' "The Wild Swans at Coole", a total of 81 major poems from 39 poets. It is simply a collection of the best.

Public Domain (P)1992 The Audio Partners

What the critics say

"The readings are seamlessly and expertly delivered with sensitive interpretations." ( Booklist)

What listeners say about 81 Famous Poems

Average Customer Ratings
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I loved most of the poems in this collection!

It was worth the listen! I enjoyed most of the poems in the collection! Some were not for me but they are probably greta for someone else. it was worth the 2 hours listen!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Dean Bocobo
  • Dean Bocobo
  • 2018-12-17

Untitled Chapters Make An Audiobook Hard To Use

The audio quality is quite good, but because this is a book of many short poems, the untitled chapters make the book hard to use. This is important because listening to a poem just once or twice is never enough.

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35 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Brian Thurm
  • 2021-02-15

It’s OK, a few gems

Some gems in here but a bit dry on the overall delivery even though the classic poems work best with the dryness. The 3 stars is because this is just missing some sort of “juice” or sauciness to its compilation. It serves more as a rolling background for soaking in some classic poems. Just feels academic and high brow in its delivery versus exciting and savory.

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3 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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  • NatsFan
  • 2022-05-21

Snoooooooozzzeeee.

imagine your most dreaded literature class, imagine too,your professor lacks the reading talent .

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Mia
  • 2022-04-05

No chapter titles

With a total of 81 poems they should have the chapters titled with the name of the poem and author.

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2 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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  • Kindle Customer
  • 2022-01-26

no chapter titles makes this a useless book.

its impossible to find what your looking for without chapter titles. would have been 4 stars if they were not too lazy to let you know what your reading

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2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Bruce Cline
  • 2021-12-28

No wonder

This collection of “famous poems” explains why classic poetry is one of the least appreciated art forms. There are so many great poems, yet few managed to sneak their way into this collection.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Mel
  • 2022-03-03

Followed easily with the Norton Anthology of Poetry

After decades I got out my Norton anthology I studied at U of Michigan and took this as a review. It stops at Yeats and wished it could continue.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Kindle Customer
  • 2022-01-25

listen over & over, sumptuous voices, lyrical

superb choice of poems, had it in other formats, like piece of music, can listen over and over and still hear something new, enchanting

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Belinda C
  • 2018-05-05

81 poem's

👍book I book to have for reading and writing to hear 👂!like the too much

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Marie Campbell
  • 2023-01-10

Good Poems

Classic poems that are good to read/listen to. Haven’t heard of some of these, but it was nice to jump back in time and feel the era. William Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe are among these famous poets in this book.

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