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By: Aeschylus (c. 525/524-456/455 BC)

Book cover Prometheus Bound (Browning Translation)

Whether or not it was actually written by Aeschylus, as is much disputed, "Prometheus Bound" is a powerful statement on behalf of free humanity in the face of what often seem like the impersonal, implacable Forces that rule the Universe. As one of the most compelling rebel manifestos ever composed, it has appealed not only to the expected host of scholars of Greek drama, but also to a fascinatingly free-spirited array of translators, especially since the early 19th century; Percy Bysshe Shelley, Henry David Thoreau, and activist-poet Augusta Webster are among those who have tried their poetic and linguistic powers at rendering it into English...

By: Anonymous

Book cover Little Girl to Her Flowers

This is a small volume with short poems about flowers. Listeners may wish to refer to the online text, which includes very neat illustrations.

Book cover Lily Of The West

"Lily of the West is an Irish folk poem. Some say it is a metaphor for the Irish life after emigrating to America." .

Book cover Keepsake (version 2)

This is a cute little volume of poems for children. Listeners may wish to refer to the text to see the pretty illustrations.

Book cover My Comforter

LibriVox volunteers bring you 17 recordings of My Comforter by anonymous. This was the Weekly Poetry project for November 25, 2012.

By: Apollonius Rhodius (3rd Cent. -3rd Cent.)

Book cover Argonautica

The story of how Jason and a group of famous heroes of Greece took to sea in the Argos has been told many times, before and after Apollonius of Rhodes, wrote his Argonautica, in the 3rd century b.C.. It is not only the oldest full version of the tale to arrive to our days, but also the only extant example of Hellenistic epic. This was already a popular myth by the times of Apollonius, who makes the story of how Jason and the Argonauts sail to Colchis in search of the Golden Fleece, and have to go through a lot of adventures to fulfill their task, a mix of simple narrative and scholarly catalog. The Argonautica had a deep impact on European literature as a whole.

By: Archibald Lampman (1861-1899)

Book cover Winter Evening

Archibald Lampman was a Canadian poet. "He has been described as 'the Canadian Keats;' and he is perhaps the most outstanding exponent of the Canadian school of nature poets." The Canadian Encyclopedia says that he is "generally considered the finest of Canada's late 19th-century poets in English." Lampman is classed as one of Canada's Confederation Poets, a group which also includes Charles G.D. Roberts, Bliss Carman, and Duncan Campbell Scott.

Book cover Sight

volunteers bring you 15 recordings of Sight by Archibald Lampman. This was the Weekly Poetry project for August 28, 2022. ------ Lampman is classed as one of Canada's Confederation Poets, a group that also includes Charles G.D. Roberts, Bliss Carman, and Duncan Campbell Scott. - Summary by Wikipedia

Book cover Refuge

Archibald Lampman FRSC was a Canadian poet. "He has been described as 'the Canadian Keats;' and he is perhaps the most outstanding exponent of the Canadian school of nature poets." The Canadian Encyclopedia says that he is "generally considered the finest of Canada's late 19th-century poets in English." Lampman is classed as one of Canada's Confederation Poets, a group which also includes Charles G.D. Roberts, Bliss Carman, and Duncan Campbell Scott. - Summary by Wikipedia

By: Barry Cornwall (1787-1874)

Book cover Petition to Time

Bryan Waller Procter was an English poet. Rather unknown outside Britain in his times and largely considered to be imitator of greater romantic authors, Barry Cornwall however inspired Alexander Pushkin to some translations and imitations in 1830. - Summary by Wikipedia

By: Benjamin King (1857-1894)

Book cover Ben King's Verse

This is a volume of Benjamin King's collected verse, published shortly after his sudden death in 1894. The American humorist was very famous during his lifetime, and is still widely referenced and quoted until today. This volume was published in Chicago after his death, reportedly outselling any other volume of poetry in Michigan for 25 years after being published. It is also prefaced by two short biographies by John McGovern and Opie Read. - Summary by Carolin

By: Bhartṛhari (c. 400-500)

Book cover Vairagya Shatakam

Vairagya Shatakam is one of the best books that gives the true picture of Renunciation. The book talks on how a common man gets lured by the endless desires which when satisfied fetches him nothing but the desires again. It concludes saying how these unsatiable desires mislead the man from knowing his real nature-omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience!

By: Don Marquis (1878-1937)

Book cover Old Soak, and Hail And Farewell

Published in 1921 , "Hail and Farewell" is a collection of poems in honour of alcohol, drunkenness, and all things related.In "The Old Soak", an old codger grumbles and connives to get alcohol in the age of Prohibition. Part is narrative, and part is installments from The Old Soak's papers. “I'm writing a diary. A diary of the past. A kind of gol-dinged autobiography of what me and Old King Booze done before he went into the grave and took one of my feet with him. In just a little while now there won't be any one in this here broad land of ours, speaking of it geographically, that knows what an old-fashioned barroom was like...

Book cover Tom-Cat

volunteers bring you 25 recordings of The Tom-Cat by Don Marquis. This was the Fortnighty Poetry project for June 23, 2019. ------ A reflection on the tom-cat. - Summary by KevinS

By: Dora Sigerson Shorter (1866-1918)

Book cover Old Maid (Shorter)

Dora Maria Sigerson Shorter was an Irish poet and sculptor, who after her marriage in 1895 wrote under the name Dora Sigerson Shorter. She was born in Dublin, Ireland, the daughter of George Sigerson, a surgeon and writer, and Hester (née Varian), also a writer. She was a major figure of the Irish Literary Revival, publishing many collections of poetry from 1893. Her friends included Katharine Tynan, Rose Kavanagh and Alice Furlong, writers and poets.

Book cover Sad Years

This is a collection of poems by Dora Sigerson Shorter, whose subject are the Sad Years 1914-1918.

Book cover Ballads and Poems

This is a volume of poetry by Dora Sigerson Shorter. This volume contains seven of Ms. Shorter's Ballads, a series of miscellaneous poems, and finally two narrative poems. While the topics of the poems and ballads are all unique, many of them share the atmosphere of a fairy tale. - Summary by Carolin

By: Edward Coote Pinkney (1802-1828)

Book cover Health

LibriVox volunteers bring you 9 recordings of A Health by Edward Coote Pinkney. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for February 19, 2012.Edward Coote Pinkney was an American poet, lawyer, sailor, professor, and editor. Born in London in 1802, Pinkney made his way to Maryland. After attending college, he joined the United States Navy and traveled throughout the Mediterranean and elsewhere. He then attempted a law career but was unsuccessful and attempted to join the Mexican army, though he never did...

By: Elias Lönnrot (1802-1884)

Book cover Kalevala, The Land of the Heroes (Kirby translation)

The Kalevala is a 19th-century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology. It is regarded as the national epic of Karelia and Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature. The Kalevala played an instrumental role in the development of the Finnish national identity, the intensification of Finland's language strife and the growing sense of nationality that ultimately led to Finland's independence from Russia in 1917...

By: Evaleen Stein (1863-1923)

Book cover Among the Trees Again

This is a volume of poetry by Evaleen Stein. Special about this volume is, among other things, that many of the poems point to certain seasons and months. This volume thus refers to each part of the year. - Summary by Carolin

By: Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué (1777-1843)

Book cover Sintram and His Companions

Friedrich de la Motte Fouque, also the author of Undine, was a German Romantic writer whose stories were filled with knights, damsels in distress, evil enchantments, and the struggle of good against overpowering evil. 'My strength is as the strength of ten, Because my heart is pure.' Fouque blends the Romantic love for nature and ancient chivalry while telling a powerful story about a young man who yearns for that which he can never attain.

By: George A. Baker, Jr. (1849-1906)

Book cover Retrospection

volunteers bring you 12 recordings of Retrospection by George A. Baker Jr.. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for October 13, 2019. ------ This Fortnightly Poem is taken from POINT LACE AND DIAMONDS by George Baker Jr.

Book cover Eight Hours

volunteers bring you 17 recordings of Eight Hours by George A. Baker Jr. This was the Weekly Poetry project for November 21, 2021. ------ This week's poem is a narrative of a working girl and her situation in society. George A. Baker was a native of New York City. He was a journalist, lawyer and author of novels and poetry, His works include Bad Habits of a Good Society . - Summary by David Lawrence

Book cover Christmas Greens

volunteers bring you 12 recordings of Christmas Greens by George A. Baker Jr.. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for November 29, 2020. ------ A cold winter's night, two damsels vying for the affections of the pastor. - Summary by David Lawrence

By: Hafiz (1325-1390)

Book cover Poems from the Divan of Hafiz

Hafiz was a Persian poet. His collected works (Divan) are regarded as a pinnacle of Persian literature. While influenced by Islam, his mystical works are highly regarded by Hindus, Christians and others, and his influence extends to several well-known writers such as Thoreau, Goethe, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. This modest collection of 43 poems is translated by Gertrude Bell.

By: Hesiod

Book cover Works and Days, The Theogony, and The Shield of Heracles

Works and Days provides advice on agrarian matters and personal conduct. The Theogony explains the ancestry of the gods. The Shield of Heracles is the adventure of Heracles accepting an enemy's challenge to fight.

By: John Bunyan (1628-1688)

Book cover To Be a Pilgrim

From John Bunyan's classic, The Pilgrim's Progress, we find the poem To Be a Pilgrim, an inspiring reminder of who we are in Christ. This was the weekly poem for March 8-15, 2015.

By: John McCrae (1872-1918)

Book cover In Flanders Fields (version 2)

Librivox volunteers bring you fifteen readings of In Flanders Fields, one of the more famous poems written during the First World War. John McCrae was a poet and physician from Guelph, Ontario. His close friend, Alexis Helmer, was killed during the battle on May 2. McCrae performed the burial service himself, at which time he noted how poppies quickly grew around the graves of those who died at Ypres. The next day, he composed the poem while sitting in the back of an ambulance.

By: Joseph Rodman Drake (1795-1820)

Book cover Culprit Fay and Other Poems

A collection, The Culprit Fay and Other Poems, was published posthumously by his daughter in 1835. His best-known poems are the long title-poem of that collection and the patriotic "The American Flag" which was set as a cantata for two soloists, choir and orchestra by the Czech composer Antonin Dvořák in 1892-93, as his Op. 102. In the early part of the 19th Century both Drake and his friend Halleck were widely hailed by Americans as among the leading literary personalities and talents produced by this country...

By: Laura Rountree Smith (1876-1924)

Book cover Gingerbread Boy and Joyful Jingle Play Stories

Short funny stories for children that not only are fun to read and listen to, but have neat rhymes in each story. So if you like a bit of poetry thrown in amid the prose, these are for you. - Summary by Phil Chenevert

By: Page Andrews (1879-1947)

Book cover Dixie Book of Days

The author used a yearly calendar to focus on pieces written by Southern authors. Many of these writers are little known, having created for their own enjoyment or peace of mind, not necessarily for publication.

By: Publius (Ovid) Ovidius Naso (c. 43 BC - 18 AD)

Book cover Fasti

The Fasti is a Latin poem in six books, written by Ovid and believed to have been published in 8 AD. The Fasti is organized according to the Roman calendar and explains the origins of Roman holidays and associated customs, often through the mouths of deities and with multiple aetiologies. The poem was left unfinished when the poet was exiled to Tomis, so only the first six months of the year appear in the poem.

By: Robert Herrick (1591-1674)

Book cover Delight in Disorder

Robert Herrick (baptised 24 August 1591 – buried 15 October 1674[1]) was a 17th-century English lyric poet and cleric. He is best known for his book of poems, Hesperides. Herrick never married, and none of his love-poems seem to connect directly with any one beloved woman. He loved the richness of sensuality and the variety of life, and this is shown vividly in such poems as Cherry-ripe, Delight in Disorder and Upon Julia’s Clothes.

Book cover Hag

A poem for Halloween by the 17th century English author Robert Herrick. His poems were not widely popular at the time they were published. His style was strongly influenced by Ben Jonson, by the classical Roman writers, and by the poems of the late Elizabethan era. This must have seemed quite old-fashioned to an audience whose tastes were tuned to the complexities of the metaphysical poets such as John Donne and Andrew Marvell. His works were rediscovered in the early nineteenth century, and have been regularly printed ever since.

Book cover Comfort To A Youth That Has Lost His Love

His verse is eminent for sweet and gracious fluency; this is a real note of the 'Elizabethan' poets. His subjects are frequently pastoral, with a classical tinge, more or less slight, infused; his language, though not free from exaggeration, is generally free from intellectual conceits and distortion, and is eminent throughout for a youthful NAIVETE.

By: Saadi (1210 - c.1291)

Book cover Poetry of Sa'di - A Selection

Shaikh Sa’di, also known as Saadi Shirazi, the nightingale of Shiraz, as Jami poetically calls this gifted poet, was born at Shiraz, the capital of Persia, near the end of the twelfth century. By turns, a student, a water-carrier, a traveller, a soldier fighting against the Christians in the Crusades, a prisoner employed to dig trenches before Tripoli. and an honored poet in his protracted old age at home, — his varied and severe experience took away all provincial tone, and gave him a facility of speaking to all conditions...

By: Sappho (c. 630 BC - c. 570 BC)

Book cover Sappho: A New Rendering

Sappho lived in the Greek-speaking Aeolian islands off the coast of Turkey. She is one of the very few female poets from antiquity. Although her work was very popular in ancient Greece and Rome, only small fragments survive today. This book includes translations of these fragments, as well as a poem from Ovid's Heroides, "Sappho to Phaon," a fictional letter from Sappho to her assumed lover.

By: Sophie Jewett (1861-1909)

Book cover If Spirits Walk

volunteers bring you 16 recordings of If Spirits Walk by Sophie Jewett. This was the Weekly Poetry project for November 22, 2020. ------ Sophie Jewett also known under the pseudonym Ellen Burroughs, was an American lyric poet, translator, and professor at Wellesley College. Her first book under her own name was The Pilgrim, and Other Poems . Jewett wrote in various poetic forms, including the rondeau, the sonnet, and the ballad. Fellow poet Richard Watson Gilder called her a true poet with a golden gift. - Summary by Wikipedia

By: Thomas Campion (1567-1620)

Book cover Thrice Toss Those Oaken Ashes in the Air

LibriVox volunteers bring you 13 recordings of Thrice Toss Those Oaken Ashes in the Air by Thomas Campion. This was the Weekly Poetry project for February 10, 2013.Thomas Campion was an English composer, poet, and physician. He wrote over a hundred lute songs; masques for dancing, and an authoritative technical treatise on music.

By: Unknown

Book cover Winter Sport

Librivox volunteers bring you 13 readings of Winter Sport, by an unknown author. This was the weekly poem for the week of November 23 - 30, 2014.

Book cover Fall of the Nibelungs

"The Fall of the Nibelungs" is Margaret Armour's plain prose translation from the middle high German of the "Nibelungenlied", a poetic saga of uncertain authorship written about the year 1200. The story is believed by many to be based on the destruction of the Burgundians, a Germanic tribe, in 436 by mercenary Huns recruited for the task by the Roman general Flavius Aëtius. The introduction to the 1908 edition summarizes the story, "And so 'the discord of two women,' to quote Carlyle, 'is as a little...

Book cover Canadian Boat-Song

Portion of an article in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, VOL. XXVI July-December, 1829 "The late Earl of Eglinton, a distinguished member of a family not destitute of Celtic blood, and which has even been illustrious honour and patriotic feelings and principles, had a high opinion of the loyalty and bravery of the Canadian Highlanders, and left the following translation of one of their boat songs among his papers, set to music by his own hand."

Book cover Little Star

LibriVox volunteers bring you 21 recordings of The Little Star, author unknown, which parodies the previous week's children's favourite The Star. This was the Weekly Poetry project for March 31st, 2013.

By: Various

Book cover Short Poetry Collection 118

This is a collection of poems read by LibriVox volunteers for March 2013.

Book cover Short Poetry Collection 130

This is a collection of 17 poems read by LibriVox volunteers for March 2014.

Book cover Short Poetry Collection 129

This is a collection of 13 poems read by LibriVox volunteers for February 2014.

Book cover Christmas in Poetry - Carols and Poems

This is a volume of Christmas poems and carols, by various authors and from various times.

Book cover Selection of 19th Century Scientific Verse

In the 18th and early 19th centuries, it was common for discoveries in branches of science such as botany, astronomy and medicine to be described in book-length treatises in verse. By the end of the 19th century this mode of popularising science was falling from favour as the studies of science and the humanities diverged and study became more specialised.This small selection of somewhat lighter-hearted verse written by distinguished scientists and mathematicians of the day includes poems by James Clerk Maxwell, William J. Macquorn Rankine and James Joseph Sylvester.

Book cover Short Poetry Collection 148

This is a collection of 27 poems read by LibriVox volunteers for September 2015.

Book cover Short Poetry Collection 144

This is a collection of 31 poems read by LibriVox volunteers for May 2015.

Book cover Short Poetry Collection 149

This is a collection of 38 poems read by LibriVox volunteers for October 2015.

Book cover Short Poetry Collection 119

This is a collection of poems read by LibriVox volunteers for April 2013.

Book cover Short Poetry Collection 138

This is a collection of 25 poems read by LibriVox volunteers for November 2014.

Book cover Short Poetry Collection 135

This is a collection of 13 poems read by LibriVox volunteers for August 2014.

Book cover Short Poetry Collection 123

This is a collection of poems read by LibriVox volunteers for August 2013.

Book cover Short Poetry Collection 121

This is a collection of poems read by LibriVox volunteers for June 2013.

Book cover Birds and All Nature, Vol. IV, No 1, July 1898

"Birds and All Nature" was a monthly publication of the Nature Study Publishing Company of Chicago. It includes short poems and articles describing birds, animals and other natural subjects with accompanying color plates. The magazine was published from 1897-1907 under the various titles, "Birds," "Birds and all Nature," "Nature and Art" and "Birds and Nature." These short pieces are perfect for a first recording or for anyone with a love of nature.

Book cover Birds and all Nature, Vol. IV, No 3, September 1898

"Birds and All Nature" was a monthly publication of the Nature Study Publishing Company of Chicago. It includes short poems and brief descriptions of birds, animals and other natural subjects with accompanying color plates. The magazine was published from 1897-1907 under the various titles, "Birds," "Birds and all Nature," "Nature and Art" and "Birds and Nature."

Book cover Short Poetry Collection 139

This is a collection of 24 poems read by LibriVox volunteers for December 2014.

Book cover Short Poetry Collection 137

This is a collection of 26 poems read by LibriVox volunteers for October 2014.


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