Here’s my summer podcast series: A Donne A Day. Each day I’ll read a poem by the English Renaissance poet John Donne. The idea is to share this extraordinary poetry with you, to read it in such a way that it’s more intelligible than it would be if you simply read it silently off the page yourself, and to create a little archive of recordings that can serve as a resource for my students when I teach my Donne seminar in the fall.
Yes, I know: grades were due yesterday at noon. I have no teaching responsibilities until August. And here I go, creating teaching materials.
None of my fellow teachers will be surprised.
I hope you enjoy the podcasts. Not all of them will have commentary or reminiscences. Actually, most of them will not. But today I wanted to make a special dedication to a former teacher who changed my life for the better, Dr. Michael Roman.
Thanks, Dr. Roman. This one’s going out to you: “The Good Morrow,” by John Donne.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (3.2MB)
[...] I have a soft spot in my heart (not head) for poetry podcasts, as my “Donne A Day” podcasts attest, so when I saw Jo McLeay’s blog on “Poetry and Podcasting,” I needed to know more. Ruminating on her quest to find the heartfelt connection that can catalyze moments of deep discovery in the classroom, Jo hits upon a podcasting idea: I have asked [my students] to choose a poem that appeals to them and to write a reflection which tries to express just what it is about the poem that speaks directly to them. Then, during class two or three students each class will read their poem aloud and speak about their poem. I have thought that we could record these and any discussion that ensues and think about making a podcast. [...]
I need a paraphrase of Good Morrow please
[...] Last fall I led a seminar on the poetry and prose of John Donne here at the University of Mary Washington. As part of my preparation for the seminar, I began my “Donne a Day” podcast series in the summer. As part of the culmination of the seminar, I recorded student readings of Donne’s work for later distribution as podcasts. [...]
is there any more on the way???
Yes indeed. Some huge life changes have put the series on hiatus, but I’ll be putting the rest out asap. Thanks for asking.
A precursor to Milton, eh?
Can I first hear more Donne, please?
Who painted the portrait?
Was he very tall as the hand suggests?
PS: I saw him first, in 1954, read by John Reid.