It’s that subject no one wants to study in English class. It’s that aisle in the bookstore that’s always empty. It’s that stuff that star-crossed lovers spout at each other through open windows.
According to Merriam Webster, poetry is defined as “writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound, and rhythm.”
We know it as that thing that some people read and other people don’t.
But this blog wants to change that, because poetry isn’t scary. It’s exciting, and comforting, and new, and old, and it can be clear-cut or all jumbled up, but most of all, it’s human.
So kick back, take a break, and ignore all that stuff you’ve heard about over-sentimentality. Because this is a place for listening to your favorite celebrities as they croon some of the greatest words ever written.
Some Context: I hereby promise to not turn this into a personal blog. This is a place for poetry appreciation, and I respect that your decision to follow me is based on the audio clips compiled here. That being said, I love getting messages/questions, and talking to fellow poetry fans is my idea of a perfect day, so feel free to drop me a line!
What’s with your title? It’s a bit of wordplay on Vladimir Nabokov’s autobiographical memoir Speak, Memory.
What’s the point of all this? Poetry isn’t always the most accessible subject. This blog seeks to circumvent the issue entirely by providing readers with spoken poetry (easier on the mind) read aloud by celebrities.
Why celebrities? Why not common folk? If you hold up a picture of a celebrity, nine times out of ten, a random person on the street will recognize them from the photo. Ask a random someone about their favorite Shakespeare sonnet, however, and the results aren’t as promising. Celebrity influence is ubiquitous; poetry is often constrained to the brave souls who seek it out. Why not mix the two? It makes poetry more accessible, and superstars more human.
Where do you find the poems? They’re all over the place. Type your favorite celebrity plus poetry into a search engine, and something will likely pop up. A majority of the audio is stuff I’ve cut from YouTube. I try and stick to stuff that’s already out there, because I don’t want to take from audio-poetry compilations that are sold for profit.
Hey, there’s music playing in the background of some of these poems! Hey, I’m merely a stockpiler! The people who produced these recordings believe that music adds a certain flair to each reading, and I respect their artistic decisions. I only try to keep the sound as close to normal as I can.
I think you’re over-exaggerating about how inaccessible poetry is. It’s not hard to just look a poem up. That’s your opinion, and you’re welcome to it. From personal experience, however, I know it’s easier to explore poetry when there’s a familiar voice behind the microphone urging me forward.
Quick Disclaimer: In no way, shape, or form do I claim any of the recordings as my own. Nor do any of the icons used as “album art” belong to me. I’m just a compiler, guys. Don’t hurt me!
Introduction/Welcome:
It’s that subject no one wants to study in English class. It’s that aisle in the bookstore that’s always empty. It’s that stuff that star-crossed lovers spout at each other through open windows.
According to Merriam Webster, poetry is defined as “writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound, and rhythm.”
We know it as that thing that some people read and other people don’t.
But this blog wants to change that, because poetry isn’t scary. It’s exciting, and comforting, and new, and old, and it can be clear-cut or all jumbled up, but most of all, it’s human.
So kick back, take a break, and ignore all that stuff you’ve heard about over-sentimentality. Because this is a place for listening to your favorite celebrities as they croon some of the greatest words ever written.
Some Context:
I hereby promise to not turn this into a personal blog. This is a place for poetry appreciation, and I respect that your decision to follow me is based on the audio clips compiled here. That being said, I love getting messages/questions, and talking to fellow poetry fans is my idea of a perfect day, so feel free to drop me a line!
What’s with your title?
It’s a bit of wordplay on Vladimir Nabokov’s autobiographical memoir Speak, Memory.
What’s the point of all this?
Poetry isn’t always the most accessible subject. This blog seeks to circumvent the issue entirely by providing readers with spoken poetry (easier on the mind) read aloud by celebrities.
Why celebrities? Why not common folk?
If you hold up a picture of a celebrity, nine times out of ten, a random person on the street will recognize them from the photo. Ask a random someone about their favorite Shakespeare sonnet, however, and the results aren’t as promising. Celebrity influence is ubiquitous; poetry is often constrained to the brave souls who seek it out. Why not mix the two? It makes poetry more accessible, and superstars more human.
Where do you find the poems?
They’re all over the place. Type your favorite celebrity plus poetry into a search engine, and something will likely pop up. A majority of the audio is stuff I’ve cut from YouTube. I try and stick to stuff that’s already out there, because I don’t want to take from audio-poetry compilations that are sold for profit.
Hey, there’s music playing in the background of some of these poems!
Hey, I’m merely a stockpiler! The people who produced these recordings believe that music adds a certain flair to each reading, and I respect their artistic decisions. I only try to keep the sound as close to normal as I can.
I think you’re over-exaggerating about how inaccessible poetry is. It’s not hard to just look a poem up.
That’s your opinion, and you’re welcome to it. From personal experience, however, I know it’s easier to explore poetry when there’s a familiar voice behind the microphone urging me forward.
Quick Disclaimer: In no way, shape, or form do I claim any of the recordings as my own. Nor do any of the icons used as “album art” belong to me. I’m just a compiler, guys. Don’t hurt me!