Fatherland by Sir Henry Parkes

LibriVox volunteers bring you 4 recordings of Fatherland by Sir Henry Parkes (1815-1896). This was the Weekly Poetry project for January 23rd – January 30th, 2011.

Sir Henry Parkes, GCMG (27 May 1815 – 27 April 1896) was an Australian statesman, the “Father of Federation.” As the earliest advocate of a Federal Council of the colonies of Australia, a precursor to the Federation of Australia, he is generally considered the most prominent of the Australian Founding Fathers.

Parkes was described during his lifetime by The Times as “the most commanding figure in Australian politics”. Alfred Deakin described him as “though not rich or versatile, his personality was massive, durable and imposing, resting upon elementary qualities of human nature elevated by a strong mind. He was cast in the mould of a great man and though he suffered from numerous pettinesses, spites and failings, he was in himself a large-brained self-educated Titan whose natural field was found in Parliament and whose resources of character and intellect enabled him in his later years to overshadow all his contemporaries”.

Parkes’s literary work includes six volumes of verse, Stolen Moments (1842), Murmurs of the Stream (1857), Studies in Rhyme (1870), The Beauteous Terrorist and Other Poems (1885), Fragmentary Thoughts (1889), Sonnets and Other Verses (1895). It has been the general practice to laugh at Parkes’s poetic efforts, and it is true that his work could sometimes be almost unbelievably bad. Yet though he had no real claims to be a poet he wrote some weak, sincere verse which has occasionally been included in Australian anthologies. (Summary from Wikipedia.)

NOTE:- I have not recorded for this project, please download the entire book to listen to this poem by other Librivox’ers. Thanks.

Impartiality by James Russell Lowell

LibriVox volunteers bring you 11 recordings of Impartiality by James Russell Lowell (1819-1891). This was the Weekly Poetry project for January 16 – January 23rd, 2011.

James Russell Lowell was an American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. He is associated with the Fireside Poets, a group of New England writers who were among the first American poets who rivaled the popularity of British poets. These poets usually used conventional forms and meters in their poetry, making them suitable for families entertaining at their fireside. (Summary from Wikipedia)

NOTE:- I have not recorded for this project, please download the entire book to listen to this poem by other Librivox’ers. Thanks.

Echoes Of Love’s House by William Morris

LibriVox volunteers bring you 11 recordings of Echoes of Love’s House by William Morris (1834-1896). This was the Weekly Poetry project for January 9th – January 16th, 2011.

William Morris was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement. Morris wrote and published poetry, fiction, and translations of ancient and medieval texts throughout his life.

Today, Morris’s poetry is little-read. His fantasy romances languished out of print for decades until their rediscovery amid the great fantasy revival of the late 1960s following the phenomenal success of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. But his textile and wallpaper designs remain a staple of the Arts and Crafts Revival of the turn of the 21st century, and the reproduction of Morris designs as fabric, wrapping paper, and craft kits of all sorts is testament to the enduring appeal of his work. The William Morris Societies in Britain, the US, and Canada are active in preserving Morris’s work and ideas.

NOTE:- I have not recorded for this project, please download the entire book to listen to this poem by other Librivox’ers. Thanks.

The Cottager to Her Infant (by My Sister) by William Wordsworth

LibriVox volunteers bring you 13 recordings of The Cottager to Her Infant,by William Wordsworth (1770-1850).
This was the Weekly Poetry project for January 2nd – January 9th, 2011.

Wordsworth was a defining member of the English Romantic Movement. Like other Romantics, Wordsworth’s personality and poetry were deeply influenced by his love of nature, especially by the sights and scenes of the Lake Country, in which he spent most of his mature life. A profoundly earnest and sincere thinker, he displayed a high seriousness tempered with tenderness and a love of simplicity. (summary from Bartleby.com)

NOTE:- I have not recorded for this project, please download the entire book to listen to this poem by other Librivox’ers. Thanks.

The Passage notes; CD 1

Disc 1 (of 12)
(Running time, 76 mins 10 secs)

It begins with the conception and birth of Amy Harper Bellafonte to Jeanette.