Showing results by publisher "Spoken Realms" in Poetry

This World War I poem by Henry Newbolt exhorts the British people to face the onset of war with the belief that God will defend their efforts in a righteous cause, exhorting the nation to “Pray that God defend the Right”. The Vigil was published in 1914, in “Poems of the Great War”, the net profits of which were donated to the Prince of Wales’ Fund.

Rudyard Kipling’s Gentlemen-Rankers first appeared in Barrack-Room Ballads and refers to young men of the privileged classes who may have suffered the indignity of bankruptcy or scandal, and joined the ‘rank-and-file’ of the British Army as privates.

Wilfred Owen’s famous poem was written in 1917 during World War I. Dulce et Decorum Est describes the horrors of the front lines and the gruesome effect of a gas attack. It is a rebuke to those that would glorify war. The title, taken from Horace, can be translated as “It is sweet and glorious to die for one’s country”.

Siegfried Sassoon is one of the best-known of the plethora of First World War poets. His poem, Counter-Attack, was published in 1918 in Counter-Attack and other poems and describes the horror of life in the trenches of the Western Front.

A poem by Phoebe Cary, performed by Ann M. Richardson, directed at a child who is having a slight behavior problem.

It is said that the observance of Memorial Day grew originally out of the custom of the widows, mothers, and children of the Confederate dead in the South strewing the soldiers' graves with flowers, including the unmarked graves of the Union soldiers. There was no settled date for this in the North until 1868, when General John A. Logan, as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, designated May 30. A touching poem in commemoration of Memorial Day narrated by Mike Vendetti.

The Hemp (A Virginia Legend) is a rhyming balled written by Steven Vincent Benet in 1916, and tells the tale of an infamous pirate whose villainy terrorized the seas and the rope of hemp which brought his end.

Classic dialect poem stories from a master storyteller, James Whitcomb Riley. Written in the early 1900s these stories draw you in through their strange speech patterns and repeated phrasing. Both speak to the common themes of childhood. Narrated by Glenn Hascall.

One of America’s favorite pastimes is baseball, and “Casey at the Bat,” one of the most famous poems in American history, captures the excitement of the game from start to finish! Tension is high that day in the typical late 19th century town of Muddville. We enter the ninth inning, the team is behind by two runs, and things are looking grim for the win unless by some miracle the infamous Casey can get up to bat and possibly save the day.

This quintessentially English poem is in the form of a father’s advice to his son on transitioning into manhood. Phillip J. Mather’s masterful delivery poignantly captures Kipling’s inspirational and timeless philosophy.

"Paul Revere's Ride" written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, has long been a staple in the classroom, and an inspiration to many. Now a part of Core State Standards, the student can listen to this poem read by professional narrator Mike Vendetti.

Most can recall what may be termed 'the good old days'. Each generation will recall the best of the past and take the sum of positive experience and call it good. This story shares the very end of the best of times in Acadia. Love is in bloom, reputations are strong, and all look to a bright future. A lifetime of change can come in one 24 hour period. And when all is stripped away perhaps the the best that remains from shattered dreams is hope. A classic story from Longfellow. Narrated by Glenn Hascall.

While it may seem dark and grim this poem story takes us aboard the deck of a ship bound for disaster. Bravado is mixed with fear. A storm is tempered with hope. The end leaves questions and a sense of melancholy that is the pinnacle of what makes this a classic. Narrated by Glenn Hascall.

The life of a Viking is prominent in this story poem. The listener is invited to the heights and depths of a Norseman's life. This is the stuff of ancient bards rekindled for a new generation. Narrated by Glenn Hascall.

Where does inspiration originate? Some find it in flowers, true love, the ocean, or perhaps a scenic mountain. For Thomas Gray the inspiration for this story poem originated - elsewhere. In this piece Thomas wrestles with his mortality and invites the listener to join the journey. Narrated by Glenn Hascall.

Grief. An emotion we all experience at one time or another, but there is no grief greater then the loss of a loved one. In this short poem by William Hope Hodgson, the narrator is alone with his grief and the realization that what had been will never be again.

Although unfamiliar with the Persian language, the eminent English poet and critic Richard le Gallienne had a profound interest in the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. In 1901 he published a collection of 261 quatrains, which was based on earlier English translations, in particular the prose version by Justin Huntly McCarthy. In his introduction, Le Gallienne suggests that his ignorance of Persian was in fact an advantage as it allowed him to focus on producing good poetry rather than merely an accurate translation.

An epic battle is taking place in Mudville. If the team can just hold on for Casey to get a whack then life will be grand. Such poise, such command, such promise. A classic poem narrated by Glenn Hascall.

While he may be less known for poetry, author Rudyard Kipling's "The Ballad of Clampherdown" is a yarn of seafaring conflict that chronicles the progression of losing a ship to war. Another great listen, another great tale. Narrated by Glenn Hascall.

Two women. Two stories. Two Wishes. Two outcomes. Life journeys often begin at the Wishing Bridge. A classic poem by a classic author. Narrated by Glenn Hascall.