The Romantic Poets [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

William Blake (Author), Lord George Gordon Byron (Author), Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 24, 2005

The spirited words of the Romantic poets have inspired countless readers and writers, down to the current day. Their expressiveness is well-suited to the spoken word. Hear on this collection the words of William Blake, Lord Byron, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and William Wordsworth read by Derek Jacobi, David Horovitch, Diana Quick, Douglas Hodges, Nicol Williamson, and others. The pieces are linked by a commentary that places them in a historical and biographical context. Originally published as six individual HighBridge Classics, now the complete set is available as a single CD collection.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

William Blake is a contributor for Highbridge Company titles including: "The Romantic Poets".

Lord George Goron Byron is a contributor for Highbridge Company titles including: "The Romantic Poets".

Samuel Taylor Coleridge is a contributor for Highbridge Company titles including" "The Romantic Poets".

From AudioFile

Actors rich in experience and classical training perform these poems and do a wonderful job with their formal elements. They know how to read verse so the rhythm comes through; the cadences in these poems march, skip, and dance, allowing the structural energies behind the words of these great British poets to be heard clearly. Likewise, the brief introductions bridging the different poems provide useful information in a focused fashion. The only weaknesses is that there seems to be no clear personal or even professional connection with the poems; it isn't clear why, for example, Derek Jacobi reads one poem and Diana Quick another. G.T.B. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: HighBridge Company; Unabridged edition (October 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156511986X
• ISBN-13: 978-1565119864
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,204,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some Beautiful Readings of Some Beautiful Poems, January 9, 2006

By 

Gerard D. Launay (Berkeley, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Romantic Poets (Audio CD)

I think poetry needs to be listened to...not just read. The trick is finding an audio Cassette or audio CD that does justice to the music of the poem. Since the Romantic poets wrote some of the most wonderful poetry in the English language, many people will want to have such an audio product. I do recommend this CD without reservation. Why four versus five stars? One of the most interesting parts of the CD collection are the autobiographical materials that precede the poems; neither John Keats nor William Blake received "that historical treatment" in this audio product. This is a minor complaint. Also, some of the readers are better than others. Jeremy Northam version of Coleridge's THE EOLIAN HARP is wonderful, perhaps worth the price of the CD alone.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GIFTED ACTORS READ TREASURED POEMS, November 24, 2005

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Romantic Poets (Audio CD)

"Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?"
William Blake

Remember Eng. Lit. class when it was announced that assigned reading would be the works of the Romantic Poets? That usually elicited a chorus of groans (I confess, myself included). What a difference it would have made if my introduction to this poetry had been in the voices of the marvelous British actors featured on this audio edition! Familiar words and phrases take on new meaning when delivered by these talented performers. Listeners may find additional insights into an author's intent revealed in the deep, rich tones of Derek Jacobi or the lyrical delivery of Prunella Scales.

Highbridge has gathered an ensemble cast to bring the words of the world's most famous writers to life. Performers, in addition to Jacobi and Scales, are Jeremy Northam, Nicol Williamson, Stella Gonet, Haydn Gwynne, Douglas Hodge, David Horovitch, Alex Jennings, Nathaniel Parker, Diana Quick, and Sian Thomas. Each voice is perfectly matched to the verses rendered.

Among the poets whose works are performed are William Blake, a visionary British artist and writer,who illustrated all of his own writings. In addition to "Songs of Experience" from which the famous lines quoted above are taken, we hear Blake's compelling "Songs of Innocence."

The handsome Lord Byron is represented by his satirical "Don Juan plus others, while "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" remembers Samuel Taylor Coleridge. A collection would be incomplete without "On A Grecian Urn" and "Ode To A Nightingale" by John Keats and Shelley's "To A Skylark." Remember "I wandered lonely as a cloud" (from "Lyrical Ballads" by William Wordsworth with Coleridge)? It, too, is included along with many others - over 12 hours of beautiful poetry.

"The Romantic Poets" is an audio book to be treasured and heard over and over again - enjoy!

- Gail Cooke

4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely worth its while!, June 16, 2011

By 

M. Martell - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Romantic Poets (Audible Audio Edition)

The only negative point about this collection of Romantic Poetry is that it consists mainly of poetry by William Blake. In between, a few pieces by other Romantic Poets (Wordsworth, Byron and so forth) can be found, but in comparison to other collections, the scale very much tips towards Blake.

Some of the comments that are shown as connected to this collection are misleading insofar that this is NOT the same collection as "The Romantic Poets" available on Audio CDs published by HighBridge Audio. There are no comments on the poets' lives in this recording!