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  True Culture

  Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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  LibriVox volunteers bring you 14 recordings of True Culture by Ella Wheeler Wilcox. This was the Weekly Poetry project for December 16, 2012. Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American author and poet. Her best-known work was Poems of Passion. Her most enduring work was " Solitude", which contains the lines: "Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone". Her autobiography, The Worlds and I, was published in 1918, a year before her death. ( Summary from Wikipedia )

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  The Sunday Sessions - Philip...

  Philip Larkin

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  The Sunday Sessions consists of twenty-six poems, the contents of two tapes recorded by Philip Larkin in Hull in February 1980 - reportedly, each on a Sunday, after lunch with John Weeks, a sound engineer and colleague of the poet. The tapes, which contain work from Larkin's first major collection, The North Ship, as well as poems from his best-known collections, The Whitsun Weddings and High Windows, remained 'lost' for over two decades, lying on a shelf in the garage in which they were recorded. Since their rediscovery they have been the subject of widespread media attention, including a BBC Radio 4 Archive Hour documentary. Their contents are here published in full for the first time.

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  Romeo and Juliet

  William Shakespeare

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  A timeless story of passion, fate, and forbidden love, Romeo and Juliet is William Shakespeare's most celebrated romantic tragedy. Set in the vibrant city of Verona, this unforgettable play captures the intensity of youthful devotion and the devastating consequences of hatred and division.
  
  At the heart of the drama are two young lovers from feuding families—the Montagues and the Capulets—whose bitter rivalry casts a shadow over the entire city. When Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet meet at a masked celebration, it is love at first sight. Unaware at first of each other's identities, they are drawn together by an instant and profound connection that defies the hostility between their households.
  
  Determined to be together despite the dangers, they secretly marry, hoping their union might reconcile their families. But fate intervenes. A chain of misunderstandings, impulsive decisions, and tragic accidents escalates the conflict, leading to irreversible consequences. As tensions rise and violence erupts, their dream of a shared future slips further from reach.
  
  Through lyrical poetry and powerful imagery, Shakespeare explores themes of love and hate, destiny and choice, youth and impulsiveness, and the conflict between individual desire and social obligation. The play portrays love as both transcendent and perilous—a force capable of inspiring extraordinary courage yet vulnerable to the destructive forces of pride and prejudice.
  
  From the famous balcony scene to the heartbreaking final act, Romeo and Juliet remains one of the most performed and studied works in world literature. Its language is rich with beauty and emotion, and its characters—passionate, flawed, and deeply human—continue to resonate across generations.
  
  Poignant and unforgettable, Romeo and Juliet is more than a love story; it is a profound meditation on the cost of division and the fragile brilliance of young love. Shakespeare's masterpiece endures as a powerful reminder that even in a world torn by conflict, love can shine with extraordinary intensity—though sometimes at the highest price.

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  White Flags - United We Stand...

  Jo Marr

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  A distraught Palestinian doctor processing his son's suicide finds common ground with the Israeli investigator who lost his best friend in the attack. 
  When an explosion devastates a peaceful neighborhood, Dr. Rami Amar receives news his son was the perpetrator. Shocked by their son's apparent radicalization, Dr. Amar and his wife, Lyda struggle to make sense of their loss, which is further intensified by the investigator, Major Shani of the Israeli Defense Forces. For Shani, this is personal. His childhood friend was killed in the attack. Following protocol, Shani confiscates Dr. Amar's travel documents and destroys his home, and the undercurrent of distrust between the two men is unmistakable.  
  With only questions and no answers, Dr. Amar decides to fix up a dilapidated local school to get the stone-throwing youths off the streets and into the classroom. But when it's impossible to acquire proper supplies, he turns to an unlikely source of help: Major Shani. To keep the students in school, learning lessons of peace, not hate, Dr. Amar promises after-school soccer matches. However, to keep his word, Dr. Amar needs even more help from Shani to break through a seemingly unmovable obstacle. Will Dr. Amar ever find out what really happened to his son? Will the men be able to unite for a common cause, or does the pain of past events run too deep?

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  Top 10 Poets The - The 20th...

  Edwin Arlington Robinson

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  The language of Poetry is an art that most of us attempt at some point in our lives.  Although its commonplace exposure has been somewhat marginalised in today’s often fast-paced lives we all recognise good verse that can empathise with our thoughts or open us up to experience new things in new ways, to better understand and to enjoy the many strands of our lives. 
  But finding a starting point can be overwhelming, even off-putting, so in this series we offer up our Top 10 classic poets, who brim with talent and verse, on a range of subjects and themes that we can all enjoy. 
  In this Century American art and culture sweeps across the world.  Its poets gain both an audience and acclaim as they influence others and boldy explore new ways and new forms to use their wise words for the imagination of verse.

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  As You Like It

  William Shakespeare

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  As You Like It is one of William Shakespeare's most delightful and reflective comedies—a pastoral tale of love, identity, freedom, and transformation set between the rigid structures of court life and the liberating beauty of the countryside. Filled with wit, romance, philosophical insight, and unforgettable characters, this play continues to charm readers and audiences alike.
  
  The story follows Rosalind, one of Shakespeare's most intelligent and spirited heroines, who is banished from her uncle's court. Disguised as a young man, she escapes to the Forest of Arden with her loyal cousin Celia and the witty court fool, Touchstone. In the forest, a world far removed from political rivalry and courtly ambition, characters discover new perspectives on love, loyalty, and themselves.
  
  Before her exile, Rosalind falls deeply in love with Orlando, a brave but marginalized young gentleman struggling against the cruelty of his older brother. Fate brings Orlando to the same forest refuge, where he pines for Rosalind—unaware that she stands before him in disguise. Through playful banter and clever manipulation of her assumed identity, Rosalind guides Orlando in understanding the nature of true affection, testing the sincerity and depth of his devotion.
  
  The Forest of Arden serves as more than a backdrop; it becomes a place of transformation and self-discovery. Away from the constraints of society, characters explore themes of forgiveness, reconciliation, and renewal. Even hardened hearts soften, rivalries dissolve, and love blossoms in unexpected forms. Shakespeare contrasts the artificiality of court life with the simplicity and authenticity found in nature, inviting reflection on what it truly means to live well.
  
  The play is also rich with philosophical insight. Through the melancholic Jaques, who delivers the famous "All the world's a stage" speech, Shakespeare meditates on the passage of time and the roles people play throughout their lives. Humor and introspection blend seamlessly, creating a narrative that is both entertaining and thoughtful.
  
  Ultimately, As You Like It celebrates love in its many expressions—romantic, familial, and platonic—while highlighting the freedom that comes from embracing one's true self. With its memorable dialogue, vibrant characters, and timeless themes, this comedy remains a joyful exploration of human nature and the enduring power of transformation.

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