Perfectly Poetic: Recent Episodes
Perfectly Poetic
Rediscovering Poetry. Together – Perfectly Poetic is a podcast for poetry enthusiasts, featuring classic works from writers like Dickinson, Emerson, Tennyson, and more, along with contemporary poets leaving their mark on literary history.
Poetry is often associated with romance, and rightfully so, as some of the most beautiful verses in literature have spawned from the heart in love. But poetry has also been born of love gone awry.
Discover the comically-lurid story behind one of England's most-recognized poems along with the mournful and little-known poetic verses written by an imprisoned queen awaiting her execution. Love is strong, but it doesn't always conquer.
FEATURED POETRY:
"My Darling Wife" — Nathan Roberts
"O, Death, Rock Me Asleep" — Anne Boleyn
"Greensleeves" — Unknown
Subscribe to Perfectly Poetic wherever you get your podcasts. Discover more at perfectlypoetic.com.
This episode is sponsored by Melton Trading Co. – Improving lives in developing communities
FEATURED MUSIC:
Music: "What a Friend" by Allen Mowery (www.allenmowery.com)
Used with permission
Music: "Medieval Chateau" by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music: "Bonfire" by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music: "Village Ambiance" by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music: "Planning" by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music: "War Shout" by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
A man of means, with his wife and four daughters by his side, the life of Horatio Gates Spafford was set to be the idyllic dream for which so many in the Victorian era longed. But tragedy was beckoning on his doorstep. Death, heartache, and financial ruin were the reality for this grieving soul who, alongside his wife, faced the deepest of sorrows in what was once a happy life. Yet, in the midst of his visceral pain, Spafford wrote of hope, of peace, and the humanitarian efforts of he and his children still reverberates today.
Poetry included in this episode:– "It Is Well With My Soul"
– "A Song in the Night"
Subscribe to Perfectly Poetic wherever you get your podcasts. Discover more at perfectlypoetic.com.
This episode is sponsored by Melton Trading Co. – Improving lives in developing communities
His life was fraught with heartache. Tormented by grief and mental illness, he turned to substance abuse, which likely contributed to his death at the age of 40. Yet, somehow in the midst of the dysfunctional haze, he penned some of the most iconic verses in American literature. Join us as we begin to explore the life and poetic works of Edgar Allan Poe.
Poetry included in this episode:
– "Alone"
– "Spirits of the Dead"
– "The Sleeper"
Subscribe to Perfectly Poetic wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more, visit perfectlypoetic.com.
This episode is sponsored by Melton Trading Co. – Improving lives in developing communities
Written only a few short years before his death at age 39, "The Marshes of Glynn" is one of the most well-remembered poems by American poet Sidney Lanier. Filled with emotion and vibrant literary imagery, Lanier describes the peace and calm he found amongst the marshes as he battled not only the demons haunting his memory but the disease which would soon claim his life.
"The Marshes of Glynn" by Sidney Lanier, 1878
This episode is sponsored by Melton Trading Co. – Improving lives in developing communities
Written in 1865 by poet John Greenleaf Whittier, "Laus Deos!" is a celebration of the constitutional amendment abolishing slavery in the Unite States and looks ahead to a bright new future.
This episode is sponsored by Melton Trading Co. – Improving lives in developing communities
The epilogue of Tennyson's In Memoriam was written for his sister Cecilia's wedding day in 1842 and brings a closure to one of his most notable works. Written partly as a memorial after the death of a close friend in 1833, In Memoriam deals with the struggle of loss and existential being and finally finds closure in the uplifting verses about the marriage of his beloved sister.
Read more about this poem
This episode is sponsored by Melton Trading Co. – Improving lives in developing communities
What is the purpose of continuing on in the face of the cruelty which this world has to offer? It is a hope and a purpose outside ourselves which brings meaning to our existence.
"Footsteps of Angels" – 1839
"A Psalm of Life" – 1839
In this episode, we read two poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow which deal with the mortality of humanity and the fragility of our minds and spirits. Yet, in the end, there is always hope.
"The Haunted Chamber" – 1839
"The Beleaguered City" – 1839
In this episode, we hear two poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow which address the juxtaposition of sorrow and beauty in this natural world.
"The Reaper and the Flowers" – 1839
"Flowers" – 1839