10 famous poems read by 10 famous voices
"Truly fine poetry must be read aloud," said Argentine writer Jose Luis Borges. "A good poem does not allow itself to be read in a low voice or silently. If we can read it silently, it is not a valid poem: a poem demands pronunciation. Poetry always remembers that it was an oral art before it was a written art. It remembers that it was first song."
To that end, and to celebrate National Poetry Day, here are 10 great poems read aloud by some of the most renowned orators on the planet - impeccable pronunciation is a given.
1. Words by WB Yeats, read by Damian Lewis
Let's begin with a poem about poetry itself. In Words, written in 1909, Yeats acknowledged that some of his best writing was inspired by (often self-inflicted) emotional turmoil, exploring how poetry can also be a consolation for that turmoil.
Damian Lewis
The actor reads Words by WB Yeats.
2. John Keats's To Autumn, read by Juliet Stevenson
Perfect for this time of year, here's Juliet Stevenson reading Keats's ode to the changing season.
Juliet Stevenson reads Keats' ode to autumn
Actress Juliet Stevenson marks the autumn equinox for the Today programme with a poem.
3. William Shakespeare's Sonnet 129, read by Ralph Fiennes
No list of famous poems would be complete without a contribution from the big man, so here's Ralph Fiennes bringing all of his dramatic talents to bear on a compelling rendition of Sonnet 129, concerning Shakespeare's unease with man's primal urges.
4. William Shakespeare's Sonnet 29, sung by Rufus Wainwright
If that last one was a little intense for you, he's a more mellifluous take on Shakespeare proffered by Rufus Wainwright, brilliantly setting Sonnet 29 to music.
Rufus Wainwright performs Sonnet 29
Rufus Wainwright performs Sonnet 29 with the ENO Chorus
5. Robert Burns's The Bonniest Lass, read by Alan Cumming
Further evidence for the assertion at the top of the page that poems need to be read aloud. Written down, Robbie Burns's proud use of the Scottish dialect could be perplexing for modern readers. But read with gusto in a ripe Scottish accent, you understand exactly what he means.
The Bonniest Lass
A song by Robert Burns, written in 1785.
6. Wilfred Owen's Anthem for Doomed Youth, read by Sir Ian McKellen
Some of the most powerful poetry ever written was in response to the horrors of the First World War, by the likes of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. Here is Sir Ian McKellen giving a suitably solemn and powerful reading of Owen's Anthem for Doomed Youth on Remembrance Sunday 2015.
War poetry from Ian McKellen and Simon Russell Beale
Remembrance Sunday war poetry from actors Ian McKellen and Simon Russell Beale.
7. Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky, read by Zoe Wanamaker
Something more light-hearted now, with Lewis Carroll's famous nonsense poem read by Zoe Wanamaker. Beware the Jabberwock, my son! Not to mention the Jubjub bird, the frumious Bandersnatch and those slithy, slithy toves.
'Jabberwocky' by Lewis Carroll (poem only)
Actress Zoe Wanamaker recites 'Jabberwocky' by Lewis Carroll.
8. Rudyard Kipling's If, read by Bill Wyman
Kipling's 1895 poem If has a place in many people's hearts, especially after Des Lynam recited it to accompany a montage of highs and lows from the 1998 World Cup in France. It's obviously a very special poem for ' Bill Wyman, whose wavering, emotional delivery provides a nice contrast to the more confident and dramatic renditions elsewhere in this article.
The Rolling Stones' Bill Wyman gets emotional reading Rudyard Kipling's 'If'
Bill Wyman recites Rudyard Kipling's 'If', a poem his Gran read to him as a child.
9. Percy Bysshe Shelley's Poetical Essay, read by Vanessa Redgrave
Admittedly this is not one of Shelley's most famous works, having only recently been discovered and displayed in Oxford's Bodleian Library after it was previously assumed that all copies had been destroyed. It was written while Shelley was an 18-year-old student, and evidently angered his superiors with its withering attack on the British establishment. However, Shelley's burgeoning poetic talent - not to mention his passion - is there for all to hear in this stirring rendition by Vanessa Redgrave.
Vanessa Redgrave performs 'lost' Shelley poem
1811 poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley is on display in Oxford. Vanessa Redgrave performs it.
10. Dylan Thomas's Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night, read by Sir Anthony Hopkins
We finish with the momentous meeting of two Welsh heavyweights. Thomas's powerful meditation on mortality Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night was written about his dying father; Hopkins reads it here as a thoroughly appropriate elegy for his fellow acting great Laurence Olivier.
Anthony Hopkins reads Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night
Reading of Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night by Anthony Hopkins.
