Other books that might interest you

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  Short Poetry Collection 135

  Various Various

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

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  Bracing

  Simone Broome

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  ‘Bracing’ is a full collection of poems, mostly about contemporary life, experienced richly, intensely, unsentimentally and with humour. The writing is humane and accessible, wearing its intelligence lightly. There is something for everyone in ‘Bracing’, even for those who were put off poetry at school. This is a mature, well-rounded piece of work. The subject matter ranges across modern life and beyond - childhood, parenthood, love, lust, loss, shopping, animals (and our connection to them), climate change, the complexities of the human heart and of relationships, spirituality, food, suffragettes, the status of women, homesickness, grief, illness, ageing, dementia, fear, the joy in small things. All the poems are underpinned by a keen eye, a sharp wit and a total absence of self-pity. Simone is a safe pair of hands, writing in an unshowy style, a poet who manages to be heartfelt, humorous and accomplished.

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  The Owl and the Nightingale - A...

  Simon Armitage

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  Simon Armitage narrates a complete verse translation of this spirited and humorous medieval English poemThe Owl and the Nightingale, one of the earliest literary works in Middle English, is a lively, anonymous comic poem about two birds who embark on a war of words in a wood, with a nearby poet reporting their argument in rhyming couplets, line by line and blow by blow. In this engaging and energetic verse translation, Simon Armitage captures the verve and humor of this dramatic tale with all the cut and thrust of the original.In an agile iambic tetrameter that skillfully amplifies the prosody and rhythm of the original, Armitage’s translation moves entertainingly from the eloquent and philosophical to the ribald and ridiculous. Sounding at times like antagonists in a Twitter feud, the owl and the nightingale quarrel about a host of subjects that still resonate today—including love, marriage, identity, cultural background, class distinctions, and the right to be heard. Adding to the playful, raucous mood of the barb-trading birds is Armitage, who at one point inserts himself into the poem as a “magistrate . . . to adjudicate”—one who is “skilled with words & worldly wise / & frowns on every form of vice.”Featuring the Middle English text on facing pages and an introduction by Armitage, this volume will delight readers of all ages.

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  A Rhyme A Dozen ― Autumn - 12...

  Emily Dickenson, Kahlil Gibran,...

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  ‘A dime a dozen’ as known in America, is perhaps equal to the English ‘cheap as chips’ but whatever the lingua franca of your choice in this series we hereby submit ‘A Rhyme a Dozen’ as 12 poems on many given subjects that are a well-rounded gathering, maybe even an essential guide, from the knowing pens of classic poets and their beautifully spoken verse to the comfort of your ears. 
  1 - A Rhyme A Dozen - 12 Poems, 12 Poets, 1 Topic - Autumn - An Introduction 
  2 - The Name of it is Autumn by Emily Dickinson 
  3 - Autumn by Khalil Gibran 
  4 - In Autumn Moonlight by Robert Seymour Bridges 
  5 - The Autumn by Elizabeth Barrett Browning 
  6 - Autumn in the Garden by Fredegond Shove 
  7 - An Autumn Rain Scene by Thomas Hardy 
  8 - Love in Autumn by Sara Teasdale 
  9 - Autumn in Cornwall by Algernon Charles Swinburne 
  10 - To Autumn by William Blake 
  11 - Autumn Dawn by Charles Sorley 
  12 - Autumn Elegy by Leslie Norris 
  13 - Autumn - A Dirge by Percy Bysshe Shelley

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  Henry VI Part 1

  William Shakespeare

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  Henry VI, Part 1 or The First Part of Henry the Sixt (often written as 1 Henry VI) is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England. Whereas 2 Henry VI deals with the King's inability to quell the bickering of his nobles, and the inevitability of armed conflict, and 3 Henry VI deals with the horrors of that conflict, 1 Henry VI deals with the loss of England's French territories and the political machinations leading up to the Wars of the Roses, as the English political system is torn apart by personal squabbles and petty jealousy. (Summary by Wikipedia) Cast: 
  Basset/Messenger/Queen Margaret/Second Sentinel/Second Serving Man: Elizabeth KlettBastard of Orleans/Master Gunner/General: lennichBoy/First Soldier/Officer/Scout/Sir William Lucy/Soldier: Christine BlachfordCaptain/Second Warder/Third Serving Man: Ty UnglebowerCharles, King of France: peacCountess of Auvergne: Maria ThereseDuke of Alencon: kenrgDuke of Bedford: Robert MitchellDuke of Burgundy: Sandra GDuke of Exeter: Andy MinterDuke of Gloucester: Sean RandallDuke of Somerset: ReadalotEarl of Salisbury: Michael IrskensEarl of Suffolk: Frank BookerEarl of Warwick: Mark F. SmithEdmund Mortimer: Bruce PirieFirst Gaoler/Lawyer/Legate/Lord Talbot/Watch/Woodvile: Algy PugFirst Sentinel/First Serving Man: John FrickerFirst Warder/Sir John Fastolfe: Dale BurgessHenry VI: Arielle LipshawJoan La Pucelle: Nadine Eckert-BouletJohn Talbot: ravenotationLord Mayor of London: Martin GeesonPorter: Lucy PerryReignier: Lars RolanderRichard Plantagenet: David GoldfarbSergeant: VeggrowerServant: EdenShepherd: AldorSir William Glansdale: Aidan BrackSir Thomas Gargrave: Ric FVernon: David LawrenceWinchester: Jason MillsNarrator: Roseanne SchmidtAudio edited by:<

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  Ella Hickson Plays: One (NHB...

  Ella Hickson

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  When her first play, Eight, transferred from student theatre in Edinburgh to the West End and then New York, Ella Hickson was still in her early twenties. She has since built on that promise with a series of engaged and engaging dramas that pit romanticism and optimism against the realities of life as a young person in Britain.
  Eight (Edinburgh Fringe, 2008), that astonishing first success, is included here: a state-of-the-nation group portrait in monologues, 'an interactive Talking Heads for 21st-century teens and twentysomethings' (Independent).
  Also included is Hot Mess (Edinburgh Fringe, 2010), a dark and lyrical tale about twins born with just a single heart between them, and Precious Little Talent (Edinburgh Fringe, 2009; West End, 2011), about two young adults graduating into a world that's sold them down the river.
  In Boys (HighTide Festival, Nuffield Theatre Southampton and Soho Theatre, 2012), the Class of 2011 faces a tricky transition to adulthood in a play that 'powerfully captures the mood of a generation' (Independent).
  The volume also contains an introduction by the author and two short plays: the previously unpublished PMQ, part of the Coalition season at Theatre503, London, in 2010; and Gift, first seen as part of Headlong's immersive theatre production Decade in 2011.

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