Never ones to shy away from the big questions, the poet Pele Cox and her student and co-host Rich Uridge ask: what is the purpose of poetry? With the help of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and a couple of sirs – Sir Philip Sidney and Sir Thomas Wyatt – they conclude that, in part, poetry’s job is to move readers to virtuous action or “well doing and not well knowing only” as Sidney put it.
Along the way they notice similarities between 16th century Elizabethan London and 21st century Trump’s America where to speak one’s mind risks losing one’s head – figuratively if not literally these days. But despite the risks poets, they agree, need to be rebellious.
Poet’s quoted
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning (The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point; Sonnets from the Portuguese)
- Sir Philip Sidney (The Defence of Poesy)
- Sir Thomas Wyatt (Whoso List to Hunt, I Know where is an Hind)
- Pele Cox (The Mistress Account)
- Sharon Olds (Stag’s Leap)
Apple Podcasts
Amazon Music
YouTube
Email
RSS- Pelé’s Poetry Podcast: 3
- Pele’s Poetry Podcast: Episode 2, the poetry of shock
- Pele’s Poetry Podcast: Episode 1, poetry the undiscovered country
- Pele’s Poetry Series 2024 – 2025
- Poetry in the Paradise of Exiles
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | Youtube Music | RSS