The Great Poets

John Keats

By: John Keats

Narrated by: Samuel West, Michael Sheen

Naxos AudioBooks continues its new series of Great Poets, represented by collections of their most popular poems in one program. Although John Keats had a short life, he produced a series of outstanding poems, many of which appeared first in letters to his sister. He was largely unappreciated during his lifetime and died in Rome at the age of 26. Most of his 150 poems were written in just nine extraordinary months in 1819. This selection contains some of his finest works, including the principal "Odes", "La Belle Dame Sans Merci", "Old Meg", and "Much Have I Travelled".

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2007 Naxos Rights International (P)2007 Naxos Rights International

Wonderfully read Keats.

Keat's began to be ill in late 1819, his most prolific year, and passed away in the summer of 1821 at age 26.
Though circumstance made him mature beyond his years, his poems remain enthusiastic & richly romantic.

Music to my ears

Sensual and sweet-sounding. A brilliant selection of poems and odes of one of the most celebrated Romantic poets. The narrators' performance was laudable.

It sounds like John Keats thinking...

Where does The Great Poets rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Way up there

What did you like best about this story?

"Why did I laugh tonight?"

What does Samuel West and Michael Sheen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Compelling evidence of the centrality of prosopopoeia to the reception of the lyric.

= They read with expression, conveying thoughts and feelings plausibly associated with the words of the poems.
If you liked the movie "Bright Star," you'll like this.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The change of voice -- and reader?--in order to render "Ode on Melancholy" properly. Its language is very artificial and this was done histrionically and well.

Any additional comments?

Sir Ralph Richardson' s reading aloud of Keats poems is fascinatingly different but also very pleasing.

Superb narration

Shakespearean quality! I never grow weary of listening to Keats words or of the gifted narration of the talented speakers.

Michael Sheen

One of my favourite narrators reads one of my favourite poets. I bought this because of the emotionally lucid Michael Sheen, and Samuel West is no less excellent.