This is, as the title already describes, the rhymed story of Chanticleer the Rooster, and his adventures. Follow the bird through his youth and school years, on a journey, through adventures, becoming a father and a family man and eventually a grandfather. - Summary by Carolin

This is a collection of stories in verse for children. Published in 1866 by an author only known by the initials F.F., these poems teach children the virtues, their duties, and what happens to ill-behaving little boys and girls. - Summary by Carolin

A collection of short stories and poems for children, filled with sweet but simple life lessons. - Summary by Campbell Schelp

This is the story of an intelligent, upright and generous rooster named Chanticleer. We follow his life from birth to death in this story written in verse. The story recounts his adventures during his childhood, his studies and his travels. He becomes a father and grandfather and tries to impart his wisdom to the next generation. - Summary by SweetHome

volunteers bring you 16 recordings of Drive the Cold Winter Away by an unknown poet. This was the Weekly Poetry project for December 13, 2020. ---- A delightful poem written sometime before ca. 1625. Sometimes erroneously attributed to Tom Durfey - Summary by KevinS

The Congo is one of the best-known poems by American poet Vachel Lindsay (1879-1931). It was revolutionary in its use of sounds and rhythms — as sounds and rhythms — and includes elaborate annotations to guide its spoken performance. Lindsay categorized The Congo as “higher Vaudeville” and was famous for his exuberant performances of it. The poem’s imagery is racist, but Lindsay was a product of his time — born 14 years after the end of the American Civil War in Abraham Lincoln’s hometown, he revered Lincoln and viewed himself as a friend and supporter of African-American culture.

This is a collection of poems on various topics by Vachel Lindsay. Please note that the Booker T. Washington trilogy had to be omitted from this collection.

LibriVox volunteers bring you 14 recordings of The Conscientious Deacon by Vachel Lindsay. This was the Weekly Poetry project for May 5th, 2013.Vachel Lindsay described this poem as "a song to be syncopated as you please". According to Wikipedia he is considered the father of modern singing poetry (as he referred to it) in which verses are meant to be sung or chanted. His extensive correspondence with the poet Yeats details his intentions to revive the musical qualities in poetry as had been practised by the ancient Greeks. (Introduction by Ruth Golding)

The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is attributed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon (smṛti). The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India, the other being Mahabharata. It is the story of Rama, who emabrks on an epic journey followed by the fight with Ravana, the demon king who abducted Rama's wife, Sita. The epic depicts the duties of relationships, portraying ideal characters like the ideal servant, the ideal brother, the ideal wife and the ideal king. (Introduction by Om123)

Here are 37 distinctively American poems, covering the mid-17th – early 20th Centuries, from Anne Bradstreet to Dorothy Parker’s sole PD work.

Short Poetry Collection 001: a collection of 29 public-domain poems.

Long Poems Collection 1: a collection of 5 public-domain poems longer than 5 minutes in length.

A collection of romantic poems for St Valentine’s day.

A collection of classic Christian hymns spanning the centuries. Some of the hymns are read; others are sung.

A selection of twenty hymns sung in this recording.

This is a sequel of sorts to 37 American Poems, one of my first solos. Concentration here is on late 19th to early 20th Century works by US poets.

In this celebration of diversity, learn about the myriad histories and cultures behind our volunteers.

Ten early Public Domain poems by some of the authors mention of whose most popular works is most likely to come in close proximity to the word “sorry” in the LV forums. Included are: JRR Tolkien, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, Dorothy L Sayers, CS Lewis, William Faulkner, Kahlil Gibran, DH Lawrence, Robert Graves and Ernest Hemingway.

A collection of children’s alphabet rhymes including Footsteps On the Road to Learning – a short text from 1850 which teaches children the English alphabet in rime–so that a child may not become a dunce! The Anti Slavery Alphabet – a book prepared to encourage young children to speak against the institution of slavery in 19th century United States. The method used is an alphabetical listing of the evils of slavery. The Peter Pan Alphabet and The Alphabet of Celebrities – Oliver Herford’s teaching guides to the English alphabet–using Peter Pan and famous names!

This is a collection of short poems and readings, both religious and secular, on death and bereavement.

The Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, is a work of enormous proportions. Setting out with the simple goal of offering "American households a mass of good reading", the editors drew from literature of all times and all kinds what they considered the best pieces of human writing, and compiled an ambitious collection of 45 volumes (with a 46th being an index-guide). Besides the selection and translation of a huge number of poems, letters, short stories and sections of books, the collection offers, before each chapter, a short essay about the author or subject in question...

Robert Burns, the national bard (poet) of Scotland was born on the 25th January, 1759. This is a collection of his poems and songs. This collection also includes works from other poets and writers who have written about Burns.

Some wonderful poems by Christopher Marlowe and others recorded ‘on location’ – in the churchyard of St Nicholas’, Deptford, and the Greenwich Foot Tunnel.

A collection of poetry selected and performed by Bob Gonzalez, rhapsode. Rhapsodes of Ancient Greece were “song-stitchers,” performing selections from the epics of Homer and Hesiod. The contemporary rhapsode performs the classical poetry of his or her language, culture, and tradition. Any particular collection and arrangement of poems for performance I term a “rhapsody.” In general terms, a rhapsody is an ecstatic expression of feeling and enthusiasm. In music, a rhapsody is an instrumental composition irregular in form and suggestive of improvisation...

"Originally modeled on the Psalms and other poetic passages (commonly referred to as "canticles") in the Scriptures, Christian hymns are generally directed as praise and worship to the monotheistic God. Many refer to Jesus Christ either directly or indirectly. Since the earliest times, Christians have sung "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs", both in private devotions and in corporate worship (Matthew 26:30; 1 Cor 14:26; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; James 5:13; cf. Revelation 5:8-10; Revelation 14:1-5)...

A collection in celebration of 2012 Year of Reading Australia. Readers chose fiction, non fiction and poetry - we only asked that the readings should have some sort of Australian hook. So they can be by an Australian author, or about Australia, or just have a prominent bit of Australianess in the plot. Failing that: even being performed by Australians will do! :D .

Spring through Fall 1921 in Poetry, edited by Harriet Monroe. 2012 is the 100th Anniversary of Poetry magazine.

This is a collection of 32 poems read in English by volunteers for December 2018.

This is a collection of 35 poems read in English by volunteers for August 2018.

This is a collection of 31 poems read by volunteers for April 2016.

This is a collection of 34 poems read by volunteers for July 2017. It includes a longer poem, Parliament of the Birds by Farid ud-Din Attar. Introduction by the reader: This is one of the best-loved classics of Sufi literature. In his own land, Attar is better known than Rumi or Hafiz. Translation is by Edward Fitzgerald, who 160 years ago brought the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam to English-speaking audiences. Lacking governance and beginning to descend into anarchy, the birds come together to agree on leadership...

This is a collection of 38 poems read in English by volunteers for September 2018.

This is a collection of 23 poems read by volunteers for June 2016.

This is a collection of 29 poems read by volunteers for February 2016.

This is a collection of 28 poems read by volunteers for November 2016.

This is a collection of 30 poems read by volunteers for August 2016.

This volume covers the age of expansion from the Revolution to the Civil War, including the creation of the Constitution, the Presidency of George Washington, the War of 1812, and the settling of the West, along with tales of Johnny Appleseed, the Alamo, the Gold Rush, the death of Jefferson, and The Wreck of the Hesperus. Authors include Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Francis Scott Key, John Greenleaf Whittier and Lord Byron. - Summary by Ed Humpal

This is a collection of 35 poems read by volunteers for March 2016.

This is a collection of 36 poems read by volunteers for March 2017.

This is a collection of 35 poems read in English by volunteers for October 2018.

This is a collection of 29 poems read by volunteers for May 2016.

This is a collection of 28 poems read by volunteers for February 2017.