European Poetry

At the end of his life, William Blake (1757-1827) gave up hope of being widely understood, but the twentieth century brought to his work a new and intense interest and acclaim.

This varied, well-chosen selection brings onto one audiobook the best of Dylan Thomas. Here is the legendary recording of "Under Milk Wood", with Richard Burton and Richard Bebb as narrators; but here also are two radio productions he wrote before that great classic, and though interesting in their own right, they show how "Under Milk Wood" grew gradually in his imagination.

The words of Kahlil Gibran give his book The Prophet a broad range of inspiration and philosophy. They provide exceptional insight into human desires and understanding. The vivid observations are vibrant with feeling and acceptance of life’s many questions and hopes. One review saluted the story as being untouched by the harshness of life. Gibran’s other two books, The Forerunner and The Madman, are of deep assistance in the same manner.

Set during the fierce Trojan War, Troilus and Criseyde is the poignant tale of love won and lost. The beautiful Criseyde becomes the object of desire for Troilus, the son of King Priam, and he is able to win her affection through the machinations of his uncle, Pandarus. They experience a brief time of bliss together, but despite their vows of faithfulness, they are soon separated by the fortunes of war.

John Keats was largely unappreciated during his lifetime and died in Rome at the age of 26. Most of his 150 poems were written in just nine extraordinary months in 1819. This selection contains some of his finest works, including the principal "Odes", "La Belle Dame Sans Merci", "Old Meg", and "Much Have I Travelled".

This is a selection of works by three famous Irishmen: Oscar Wilde, W. B. Yeats and Bram Stoker. It includes: the short story by Bram Stoker, "Dracula's Guest"; Oscar Wilde's poem "Humanitad" and three versions of his "The Ballad of Reading Gaol"; and finally, an early collection of poetry called The Rose by W. B. Yeats. There is a general introduction by the writer and actor Tim Dalgleish and other additional material.

The Knight's Tale of medieval wars and chivalry is the first tale told to the pilgrims as they set out to Canterbury. It concerns Theseus, returning from fighting at Thebes, and two brother knights Palamon and Arcite, imprisoned but yearning for their loves. But the real hero of this recording is Richard Bebb who, with the help of Professor Derek Brewer, the leading expert on Chaucerian pronunciation, make the original Middle English not only comprehensible to the modern ear, but exciting.

Although generally considered one of Portugal's greatest poets, Fernando António Nogueira Pessoa (1888-1935) published but one book in Portuguese in his lifetime. That book, Message (Portuguese Mensagem), the esoteric epic at which he labored sporadically for more than 20 years before finally publishing it in the year prior to his death, is undoubtedly essential to an understanding of Pessoa's poetic vision, yet it remains, at least in the English-speaking world, relatively unknown and unread.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in collaboration with his friend, William Wordsworth, revolutionized English poetry. In 1798 they produced their Lyrical Ballads, poems of imagination and reflection using "the language of men" - pointing the way forward for a generation of Romantic poets.

Sophisticated wit and intense emotion, religious fervor and erotic sensuality, delight in life’s pleasures and fascination with death, are all to be found in the paradoxical poetry of John Donne. One of the foremost metaphysical poets, Donne’s ingenious metaphors and inspired use of language has earned him affection and reverence in near equal measure to Shakespeare.

Conrad, the Corsair, is the chieftain of a pirate band, and plans to attack the Pacha, Seyd, and seize his possessions. Conrad's wife, Medora, prevails upon her husband to abandon his plan and remain at home. Confident in his plan and assured of his safe return, Conrad and his pirate crew set sail for the Pacha's island.

Amora dares explore the way women love each other - the atrophy and healing of the female spirit in response to sexual desire and identity. These thirty-three short stories and poems, crafted with a deliberate delicacy, each capture the candid, private moments of women in love. Together, these stories and the women who inhabit them reveal an illuminating portrait of the sacred female romance, with all its nuances, complexities, burdens, and triumphs revealed.

Dante Alighieri is indisputably one of the world's greatest poets. His epic masterpiece, the Divine Comedy, has been frequently referred to as the supreme work of Italian literature and a staple in the Western Christian tradition. Now, you can explore Dante's life and masterwork with a truly gifted Catholic professor as your guide. In this 12-lecture series, Dante's Divine Comedy, Sr. Mary Clemente Davlin will take you through this timeless narrative that has so profoundly influenced Western history, literature, and the Christian faith.

Das Dasein ästhetisch rechtfertigen – und sich dabei zuschauen. Oder sich eingestehen, dass man eigentlich gar nicht versteht, was in der Welt geschieht. Oder das Ganze herumdrehen: Nicht-Verstehen als ethische Grundlage eines Lebens betrachten. Wie wäre es mit einer Poesie der Gleichgültigkeit? Einer Haltung, die dennoch nichts unberührt lässt – wäre dies ein erster Schritt? Und wohin? Willi van Hengel hat einen Reigen seiner bisher erschienenen Texte komponiert.

The Völsunga saga is a legendary saga, a late 13th-century poetic rendition in Old Norse of the origin and decline of the Völsung clan (including the story of Sigurd and Brynhild and the destruction of the Burgundians). It is one of the most famous legendary sagas and an example of a "heroic saga" that deals with Germanic heroic legend. The saga covers topics including the quarrel between Sigi and Skaði, a huge family tree of great kings and powerful conquerors and the quest led by Sigmund and Sinfjǫtli to save princess Signý from the evil king Siggeir.

Леся Українка (Лариса Петрівна Косач) — українська письменниця, перекладач, культурний діяч. Писала у жанрі поезії, лірики, епосу, драми, прозі, публіцистики. Також працювала на ниві фольклористики (220 народних мелодій записано з її голосу). Бояриня — драматична поема, написана впродовж трьох днів у Хельвані (біля Каїра, Єгипет-Міср). Це єдиний твір письменниці, який базується на українській історії. Події в поемі розгортаються в часи Руїни (60-ті роки XVII ст.) на Лівобережній Україні та у Москві.

Este livro é um resumo do clássico da literatura O Primo Basílio. A obra é um romance realista escrito por Eça de Queiroz e publicado em 1878. A trama se passa em Lisboa e aborda as questões morais e sociais da classe média da época. O enredo gira em torno do adultério de Luísa, uma mulher entediada em seu casamento com Jorge. Quando seu primo Basílio retorna do Brasil, reavivam um romance do passado. Enquanto os dois têm um caso, a empregada Juliana descobre a traição e a utiliza para extorquir Luísa.

Toda la obra de Federico García Lorca está rodeada de misterio, toda vez que las balas asesinas de Franco le arrebataron la vida. Y aún más aquellas partes de su obra que podemos considerar inacabadas. Es el caso de Sonetos del amor oscuro, el único texto conocido en el que el poeta habla abiertamente del amor entre dos hombres. Once composiciones de una belleza inigualable, escritas durante el último año de su vida, que no sabemos si iban a formar parte de un determinado conjunto o de qué forma Lorca las había concebido.

Jonas Eika har udvalgt digte fra hele Ivan Malinowskis forfatterskab og komponeret en ny digtsamling, der rummer håb og hård protest. Udvalget viser både den engagerede, aktivistiske nerve i Malinowskis digte og hans optagethed af menneskets forhold til naturen.

Der Dichter France Prešeren (1800–1849), im Ausdruck Klassizist und Romantiker im Geist, steht unbestritten an der Spitze der slowenischen Literatur. Als Visionär, getrieben von Hoffnung und Verzweiflung, schrieb er die meisten seiner Gedichte in den 1830er Jahren und hob die slowenische Poesie auf Weltniveau. Im Zentrum seiner Poesie stehen die Liebe, existenzielle Not, Nationalgefühl und poetisches Schaffen, doch auch seine satirische Seite ist nicht zu vernachlässigen. Die kosmopolitische siebte Strophe seiner Zdravljica ist heute die slowenische Hymne und könnte durchaus auch die Hymne der Vereinten Nationen sein.