If you've ever wondered what the writer thought of his or her work, how he or she wanted the words to sound, how the rise and fall of the lines were supposed to sound... this anthology provides you with the opportunity to listen to great writers reading their own famous works.
The combination of written and spoken words should provide you with a better understanding of the writers and their works. Walt Whitman, Robert Browning, Tennyson, William Butler Yeats, Gertrude Stein, Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot, and others are included in this collection, with Charles Osgood providing transition and narrative between the readings.
What Comes Before & After...
This history of the reading of poetry aloud is by no means recent. Literature began as an oral tradition, passed down from generation to generation. It wasn't until the 19th century and the invention of Thomas Edison's phonograph that spoken words and our greatest works of literature could finally be recorded the way the writer might have first imagined them.The first CD in this collection includes some of the first recordings made by Thomas Edison. It's not surprising that Edison recorded Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning, and Walt Whitman. They were some of the most famous writers at the time.
Of course, these early readings are rough, recorded as they are on wax cylinders. The authenticity of the Walt Whitman reading of "America" is the only recording of this collection that has been questioned. And, it is because of the relatively good quality of the recording that scholars question whether it could really have been derived from a wax cylinder of Whitman's reading. (Unfortunately, the original recording has been lost.)
Poetry's Impact
In addition to the wonderful recordings of writers reading their works, this collection includes biographical entries and critical essays, which "examine the impact of each poet's life and work." The editors have also selected letters and manuscripts for a number of the writers, which provide insight into the process of writing and revision.In each section, the editors have printed the text for the poems that are read, so that you can easily follow along. Other poems are also included to provide a better representation of the writer and the era in which he or she lived.
This collection will not soon be forgotten.
