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The Princess is a serio-comic blank verse narrative poem, written by Alfred Tennyson, published in 1847. The poem tells the story of an heroic princess who forswears the world of men and founds a women's university where men are forbidden to enter. The prince to whom she was betrothed in infancy enters the university with two friends, disguised as women students. They are discovered and flee, but eventually they fight a battle for the princess's hand....

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Poetry, Romance, Comedy

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volunteers bring you 8 recordings of Parody on The Golden Days of good Queen Bess by Sir John Carr. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for November 15th, 2009....

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Poetry, Satire, Humor

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The Song of Roland is an epic poem, originally sung in Old French. It tells the story of the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778. This is an English translation....

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Myths/Legends, Poetry

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George Herbert (April 3, 1593 – March 1, 1633) was a Welsh poet, orator and a priest. Throughout his life he wrote religious poems characterized by a precision of language, a metrical versatility, and an ingenious use of imagery or conceits that was favored by the metaphysical school of poets. He is best remembered as a writer of poems and hymns such as Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life and The King of Love My Shepherd Is. (Summary from Wikipedia)...

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Religion, Poetry

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The epic poem Jerusalem was in Blake's own opinion his masterpiece. It is the last of the great prophetic books. Originally produced as an engraved book of 100 pages (only one copy of which was every fully finished in the colouring), the poem develops and unifies many of the themes Blake had been exploring in earlier works. It is a complex and powerful work, full of dramatic imagery and sublime poetry. You might think of it like a poetic version of a Wagner opera. The edition read here is the first printed version of the poem - which was impossibly hard to read in the original. This then was the first opportunity to really explore it. However in his introduction Blake implies that the way to experience this work is to read it aloud rather than in your head. I can only agree, and I can also understand why few will do it. Although, somewhat inevitably, it is hard to do justice to the original, I hope this will give a flavour of this neglected gem. (Introduction by Nick Duncan)...

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Religion, Poetry

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The Fifth Book of the Faerie Queene contayning the Legende of Artegall or of Ivstice.This masterpiece was never completed, but it continues to be one of the most beautiful and important works of literature ever written. Spenser wrote it as a paean to the Virgin Queen Elizabeth, and to the golden age which he believed she had brought to England. Sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh and commended by the foremost literary minds of his day, Spenser's book remains one of the crowning poetic achievements of the Elizabethan period....

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Myths/Legends, Poetry

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The First Book of the Faerie Queene Contayning The Legende of the Knight of the Red Crosse or Holinesse. The Faerie Queene was never completed, but it continues to be one of the most beautiful and important works of literature ever written. Spenser wrote it as a paean to the Virgin Queen Elizabeth, and to the golden age which she had brought to England. Sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh and commended by the foremost literary minds of his day, Spenser's book remains one of the crowning poetic achievements of the Elizabethan period.(Summary by Annise)...

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Poetry, Myths/Legends

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An alphabet of historical characters presented in poetical form! In their original form, the contents of this book appeared in the Chicago Sunday Tribune, which newspaper is hereby thanked for the privilege of reproducing this Alphabet An alphabet of historical characters presented in poetical form! (Summary from the Acknowledgment and Ann Boulais) (Summary by Ann Boulais) Who frets about the mystery Enshrouding all of history On reading this will, maybe, see We've made it plain as A, B, C....

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History, Poetry

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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. (Summary by BellonaTimes)...

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Poetry, History, Romance

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The Fovrth Book of the Faerie Queene contayning the Legende of Cambel and Telamond or of Friendship. The Faerie Queene was never completed, but it continues to be one of the most beautiful and important works of literature ever written. Spenser wrote it as a paean to the Virgin Queen Elizabeth, and to the golden age which she had brought to England. Sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh and commended by the foremost literary minds of his day, Spenser's book is considered one of the crowning poetic achievements of the Elizabethan period.(Summary by Annise)...

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Myths/Legends, Poetry

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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)...

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Ancient Texts, Poetry

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volunteers bring you 9 recordings of Jerusalem by William Blake. This was the fortnightly poetry project for November 30th, 2008.

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Poetry, Religion

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This collection recognizes Black History Month, February 2007. Two excellent resources for public domain African American writing are http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/African_American_Writers_%28Bookshelf%29 African American Writers (Bookshelf) and http://www.bartleby.com/269/ The Book of American Negro Poetry , edited by James Weldon Johnson. Johnson's collection inspired the Harlem Renaissance generation to establish a firm African-American literary tradition in the United States. (Summary by Alan)...

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Poetry, Essay/Short nonfiction

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The Third Book of the Faerie Queene contayning the Legende of Britomartis or of Chastitie. The Faerie Queene was never completed, but it continues to be one of the most beautiful and important works of literature ever written. Spenser wrote it as a paean to the Virgin Queen Elizabeth, and to the golden age which she had brought to England. Sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh and commended by the foremost literary minds of his day, Spenser's book remains one of the crowning poetic achievements of the Elizabethan period.(Summary by Annise)...

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Myths/Legends, Poetry

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Tristam & Iseult is a narrative poem containing strong romantic and tragic themes: and was first published in 1852 by Matthew Arnold. This poem draws upon the Tristam and Iseult legends: which were popular with contemporary readers. The poem opens with Tristam upon his deathbed. The monologue of the dying man is shot through with sharp pangs of regret: centering upon his induced passion for Iseult of Ireland - inflamed by his unwittingly imbibing an irresistible love-potion. Before his decease, Tristram's lawful wife - Iseult of Ireland - arrives in time to share his deathbed. Iseult of Brittany graciously accedes to their request to be buried near each other - in a splendidly-constructed mausoleum back in King Mark's Tyntagel (sic.) in Cornwall. Iseult of Brittany survives to raise Tristram's children in isolation. She forgives Tristam his adultery, and with delightful pathos is thankful for the short years of happiness that she spent espoused to one of King Arthur's most renowned knights. (Summary by Godsend)...

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Myths/Legends, Poetry

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This 1924 poem/recipe book, designed as promotional material for the Royal Baking Powder Company, is set in the Oz community of Bunbury. Little Billy, who won't eat, is taken to the delicious kingdom Bunbury by King Hun Bun to help whet his appetite. Meanwhile, the King leaves the boy's mother with a recipe book for treats, made easy by the use of Price's Baking Powder. Written by Ruth Plumly Thompson, though neither her name, nor the illustrator’s (Gertrude Kay) appears on the book. (Summary by P. Cunningham)...

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Cookery, Poetry

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's weekly poetry project for the week of January 22, 2006: The Owl and the Pussycat is a famous nonsense poem by Edward Lear, first published in 1871. Its most notable historical feature is the introduction of the runcible spoon. (Summary from wikipedia.org)...

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Animals, Poetry

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Throughout history there have been many creative artists whose fame depends largely on their association with a much greater artist. Such the case of Thomas Shadwell, poet and prolific writer of low brow comedies, who is today most famous as the butt of satire by one of greatest and most influential English poets, John Dryden. Shadwell and Dryden were at first colleagues and collaborators, but later fell out over some sharp divergences of opinion. In particular, Dryden disagreed with Shadwell's high estimation of Ben Jonson, and even more of the latter's claim to be be Jonson's artistic heir. The most celebrated product of this controversy was Dryden's satirical poem, Mac Flecknoe, in which he presents Shadwell as the apostle of dullness. This elegant satire was first circulated unpublished in pamphlet form and then published in 1682. Shadwell responded with The Medal of John Bayes which has as a preface a mocking Epistle to the Tories. Dryden's reply was a further poem The Medal which likewise had a preface: Epistle to the Whigs. Shadwell is also the subject of harsh reference in Dryden's Absolom and Achitophel (1681). In his lifet...

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Poetry, Satire

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Most of the translations of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam have been in verse. However, there have been three notable exceptions to this convention; the French translation by J. B. Nicolas (1867), the English version by Justin Huntly McCarthy (1889) and another English version by Frederick Rolfe (better known as Baron Corvo, the author of Hadrian VII), published in 1903. Charles Blanden (1857 - 1933) belonged to the group known as the Chicago poets, the most famous of which was Carl Sandburg. Unlike his celebrated contemporary. Blanden was no innovator, and most of his verse is sweet and melodious, composed with craftsmanlike skill, but often lacking in imaginative fervour. Most of his collections of verse, bearing such titles as The Battle of Love, A Chorus of Leaves, A Drift of Song, and A Valley Muse, were published in limited editions, which have not since been reprinted, and today his poetry is considered of little more than historical interest. One of Blanden’s most engaging enterprises was his verse reworking of Justin McCarthy’s prose translation of the Rubaiyat, which was published in 1901. Blanden uses an eight line verse st...

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Literature, Poetry

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A collection of Tennyson's poetry : 1 The Brook - 00:16 2 Song from Maud - 1:20 3 A Farewell - 2:34 4 Song from “Maud” - 3:26 5 Break, Break, Break - 4:53 6 From “Locksley Hall”- 5:43 7 Song from “Maud” - 6:43 8 Song from “The Princess” - 7:43 9 Lillian - 8:37 10 Ring out, Wild Bells - 9:52 11 From “The Princess” - 11:27 12 Song From “The Princess” - 12:43 13 From “Enoch Arden” - 13:58 14 From “Enoch Arden” - 15:36 15 The Charge of the Light Brigade- 16:56 16 From “The May Queen” - 18:51 17 Song from “The Princess” - 19:36 18 From “Harold” - 20:14 19 From “The Revenge” - 21:28 (From Sam Stinsson)...

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Poetry, Religion