Publisher: Bu Classics Books
A phonetics professor accepts a wager to transform a Cockney flower girl into a duchess, unleashing a storm of class conflict and personal identity. As the experiment succeeds, the human cost becomes apparent, raising timeless questions about independence and the artificial barriers of social standing.
Having been publicly acknowledged as God's "beloved Son," Jesus retires to the desert to meditate upon what it means to be the Messiah, about whose coming many conflicting opinions have been circulating among the Jews. Although a learned rabbi, Jesus possesses no knowledge beyond what is available to all human beings. Satan also takes a new interest in this favored "son of God" and seeks to learn what threat he constitutes. The poem consists of a debate between these two adversaries, each seeking the same understanding of precisely what mankind's Savior will do in a world where the way to success typically lies through "wealth . . . honour . . . arms . . . arts . . . Kingdom . . . Empire . . . life contemplative, / Or active, tended on by glory, or fame." By withstanding Satan's temptation to all such worldly paths, Jesus proves himself to be a perfect, unfallen man and consequently worthy to win back paradise for mankind. Repeatedly invited to take action—either to secure his kingdom or to prove himself deserving of the divine favor that has been shown him or simply to save his life—he resists, patiently suffering, withstanding, waiting. Yet he learns from his temptation, clarifying in his own mind what his mission on earth must be and the means to achieve it. For although Satan knows no more of his mission than he does himself, Satan points the way by offering the wrong goals or the wrong motives or the wrong means. Thus the Father of Lies against his will opens the way to salvation for human kind. (Summary by Thomas Copeland)Show book
This was the weekly poetry project for 3 June 2006. Many “character” poems cut straight to the inmost psychology of their subjects, but here, the eponymous Richard Cory with all his wealth and charm is viewed entirely from the outside. Indeed as the poem ends, we realise with an unforgettable shock just how little we, the narrator, or perhaps anyone really knew about him. (Summary by LauraFox)Show book
A collection of poems by Frances Ridley Havergal and others, all describing different aspects of our walk with God, from 'Coming to the King' to 'Under the Shadow.' Summary by Esther ben Simonides.Show book
This is a book to savor slowly and return to often." —Malcolm Guite, author of Sounding the Seasons and other collections New poetry from Scott Cairns on containing the uncontainable Often, when speaking of what he has called the poetic operation of language, Scott Cairns has characterized that event as our "glimpsing an indeterminate, inexhaustible enormity within a discrete space." This is the poet's continuing fascination with lacunae, those spaces, those openings that offer more within than appearances can register from outside the ostensible covert of their terms. Cairns is here focused upon how an image, a word, or—in the case of the Theotokos—a womb can contain the uncontainable. As Orthodox hymnography avers, she is more spacious than the heavens. So, too, the poet suggests, in its own, modest way, the poem might give birth to more, and more, and yet more than even the poet supposes.Show book
While Julian and Christian have been struggling to understand what their new Vampire lives will be going forward, they haven’t counted on their prior human lives being much more complicated. But that’s exactly the case as Christian’s parents come to dinner at Ravenscroft Manor. But the boys are not the only ones finding out that their pasts are going to interfere with their presents. Balthazar is struggling to accept that he is the Immortal Eyros reborn. But he may not be the only other Immortal that is back… or maybe never left. This is a FULL CAST audio drama with 12 actors, and all 9 books are complete.Show book
Librivox volunteers bring you seven readings of Farewell! – But Whenever – by Thomas Moore. This is the fortnightly poetry project for October 12, 2014.Show book
