I recently finished reading Andrew Klaven’s The Truth and Beauty: How the Lives and Works of England’s Greatest Poets Point the Way to a Deeper Understanding of the Words of Jesus. While I wasn’t convinced that he’d proved his premise, some of his points were thought-provoking and the book made me want to read more of those poets’ work, Keats in particular (I’ve read some Coleridge and Wordsworth with the kids in Morning Time). I also have a Poetry section I need to finish for both of the reading challenges I’m attempting this year, so I’ve been listening to an audio collection of some of Keats poems. I was already familiar with his ode To Autumn from listening to John Lithgow’s Poet’s Corner, and it’s now one of my favorites. As I finished listening to the last lines once again yesterday…
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.
…I heard a robin singing an autumn farewell somewhere in the distance. Granted, American robins are different breed from their English brethren referenced in the poem, but it seemed rather serendipitous. 🙂 And then I found this fun video of someone dressed up as Keats and reciting it in his former house:
And here are some glimpses of autumn from our neck of the woods:
Also read/listened to recently:
- Hubby: a vintage edition of Asimov’s Foundation Trilogy he found at a certain new bookstore in town. 😉
- Me: finished up this year’s spooky October book, Dracula, on Saturday
- Miss A: enjoyed Legend by Marie Lu
- Mr. D: Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Antigone, dramatized on Audible
- Mr. E: Uncle Tom’s Cabin
- Mr. L: God’s Smuggler, The Wright Brothers, and Teresa of Calcutta are his biographies this term.
- Mr. R: finished The Wonderful Wizard of Oz the other day
