Synopsis
Selections of poetry on various themes, chosen by listeners. Gareth Owen celebrates Shakespeare's birthday with readings chosen and performed by members of the RSC. These include Sonnet 115 read by Michael Siberry, Sonnet 44 read by Cicely Berry, The dirge from Cymbeline read by Cicely Berry, Sonnet 2 read by Julian Glover, Sonnet 94 read by Josie Lawrence, The island speech from The Tempest read by David Troughton, Marina by T. S. Eliot read by John Nettles, Prospero's speech "Ye elves" from The Tempest read by Julian Glover.
In Our Time | Shakespeare's Sonnets
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 154 sonnets collected and printed in 1609 of which some are famous, many are glorious, most are inspiring and several are unsettling.
Poetry Please | Sonnet 116 (1995)
Selections of poetry on various themes, chosen by listeners. Palgrave's Golden Treasury, first published 130 years ago, has been a favourite with poetry readers ever since. Gareth Owen meets the current editor, John Press, who has updated Francis Turner Palgrave's original anthology. This episode includes Break break break by Tennyson read by Brian Gear, Let me not the marriage of true minds by William Shakespeare read by Sally Cookson, A vision by John Clare read by Brian Gear, Photograph of haymaker, 1890 by Molly Holden read by Sally Cookson, Ambulances by Philip Larkin in a commercial recording by the poet, Hospital for defectives by Thomas Blackburn read by Brian Gear, St George and the villagers by Dick Davies read by Brian Gear and Somewhere along the line by Simon Armitage, read by the poet.