Focus on

Explore poetry using our special collections. Curated around specific themes and forms, this is a new way to work your way through the wealth of poetry available in the Archive.

Focus on

Ask a poet

Watch video interviews with poets as they answer questions about their inspirations and influences.

Ask a poet: Interviews to inspire and entertain

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Starting points

Not sure where to start? Who to listen to? What to read? The links below will help to get you on your way.

TAKE A TOUR
POET IN RESIDENCE
FIND POETS
FIND POEMS
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
GLOSSARY

Historic recordings

Historic recordings

As well as our new recordings by contemporary poets, the Poetry Archive also contains historic recordings by poets from the past.

Hear famous voices from poetry's past.

Statue and Birds

Louise Bogan

The Journey

Yvor Winters

More Historic recordings

Recently added poems

The Reading Less...
Richard Murphy
listen

The Hinds
Kathleen Jamie
listen

The Glen
Kathleen Jamie
listen

The Shrew
Kathleen Jamie
listen

Moon
Kathleen Jamie
listen

More recently added

Classic Poems

Classic poems

Enjoy new recordings of classic poems from the past read by contemporary poets

Walsingham

Walter Ralegh
read by Alice Oswald

The Mower to the Glow-worms

Andrew Marvell
read by Andrew Motion

More classic poems