Shows / The Daily Poem
The Daily Poem
The Daily Poem offers one essential poem each weekday morning. From Shakespeare and John Donne to Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson, The Daily Poem curates a broad and generous audio anthology of the best poetry ever written, read-aloud by David Kern and an assortment of various contributors. Some lite commentary is included and the shorter poems are often read twice, as time permits. The Daily Poem is presented by Goldberry Studios.
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Episodes
The Daily PoemRobert Browning's "Development"
Although the early part of Robert Browning’s creative life was spent in comparative obscurity, he has come to be regarded as one of the most important English…
The Daily PoemEmily Dickinson's "Fame is a bee."
Today’s poem from Emily Dickinson is a masterclass in poetic economy. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get…
The Daily PoemAnne Bradstreet's "To My Dear and Loving Husband"
Anne Bradstreet was the first woman to be recognized as an accomplished New World Poet. Her volume of poetry The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America …
The Daily PoemJohn Greenleaf Whittier's "Ichabod"
Today’s poem by John Greenleaf Whittier, though potentially universal in its application, is ostensibly about Daniel Webster, who alienated abolitionists with…
The Daily PoemDana Gioia's "Entrance"
Today’s poem is Dana Gioia’s interpretive spin on a Rilke poem about (among other things) poetics. Dana Gioia is an internationally acclaimed poet and writer…
The Daily PoemSylvia Plath's "Metaphors"
Sylvia Plath (October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. She is credited with advancing the genre of…
The Daily PoemJohn Keats' "When I have fears that I may cease to be"
John Keats was born in London on 31 October 1795, the eldest of Thomas and Frances Jennings Keats’s four children. Although he died at the age of twenty-five…
The Daily PoemChristina Rossetti's "Who Has Seen the Wind?"
Poet Christina Rossetti was born in 1830, the youngest child in an extraordinarily gifted family. Her father, the Italian poet and political exile Gabriele…
The Daily PoemShakespeare's "Let's talk of graves" from Richard II
Today’s poem from Richard II tells “sad stories of the death of kings” and lowers the curtain on a week of Shakespearean speeches in verse. This is a public…
The Daily PoemShakespeare's "Should we be silent" from Coriolanus
What do the world’s greatest playwright and Rome’s greatest mama’s boy have in common? Today’s poem–Volumnia pleading with her son in the final Act of…
The Daily PoemShakespeare's "If I be not ashamed of my soldiers"
In today’s poem, the lovable cad, Sir John Falstaff, explains the dismal state of his troops (and the extra silver in his pocket). The speech is from Henry IV…
The Daily PoemShakespeare's "Be Absolute For Death"
Today’s poem is the “anti-To Be or Not To Be” speech from Act 3, Scene 1 of the underrated Measure For Measure. This is a public episode. If you'd like to…
The Daily PoemShakespeare's "Prologue" to Henry V
Today’s poem is an example of poetry we forget is poetry. Written in blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter), the opening prologue to Henry V calls the…
The Daily PoemCarl Sandburg's "Little Word, Little White Bird"
Today’s poem comes from Honey and Salt, the last collection Sandburg published before his death. “Trying to write briefly about Carl Sandburg,” said a friend…
The Daily PoemEdgar Allan Poe's "The Conqueror Worm"
Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 - October 7, 1849) was an American poet, short fiction writer, critic, and accomplished editor known for his gloomy and…
The Daily PoemGelett Burgess' "The Purple Cow"
Today’s poem is one of the most-anthologized works of light verse in the English language–and just plain fun. Frank Gelett Burgess was an American artist, art…
The Daily PoemShel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends"
A singer-songwriter, cartoonist, screenwriter, award-winning children’s writer, and actor, Shel Silverstein grew up in Chicago. He started out as a cartoonist…
The Daily PoemJane Kenyon's "Taking Down the Tree"
Kenyon published four volumes of poetry during her life: From Room to Room (1978), The Boat of Quiet Hours (1986), Let Evening Come (1990), and Constance…
The Daily PoemLawrence Ferlinghetti's "The world is a beautiful place"
Today’s poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti is another fitting meditation at the beginning of a new year. Happy reading (and listening)! This is a public episode. If…
The Daily PoemWilliam Carlos Williams' "January"
"There is no optimistic blindness in Williams," wrote Randall Jarrell, "though there is a fresh gaiety, a stubborn or invincible joyousness." -via Poetry…
The Daily PoemPhilip Appleman's "To the Garbage Collectors in Bloomington, Indiana, the First Pickup of the New Year"
Poet, novelist, editor, and Darwin expert Philip Appleman was born in Indiana and holds degrees from Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, and…
The Daily PoemW. S. Merwin's "To the New Year"
William Stanley (W.S.) Merwin was born in New York City in 1927 and raised in New Jersey and Scranton, Pennsylvania, the son of a Presbyterian minister. His…
The Daily PoemRobert Burns' "Auld Lang Syne"
Happy New Year! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit…
The Daily PoemRichard Wilbur's "Year's End"
Ring out the old year with one of The Daily Poem’s favorite poets–Richard Wilbur. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other…
The Daily PoemWendell Berry's "Satisfactions of the Mad Farmer"
Poet, novelist, and environmentalist Wendell Berry lives in Port Royal, Kentucky near his birthplace, where he has maintained a farm for over 40 years…
The Daily PoemDorianne Laux's "Family Stories"
Dorianne Laux is the author of several collections of poetry, including What We Carry (1994), a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award; Smoke…
The Daily PoemJohn Mason Neale's "Good King Wenceslas"
John Mason Neale was born in London to evangelical parents. His father’s early death meant that Neale attended many different schools; he eventually earned a…
The Daily PoemTwo Poems for Christmas
Merry Christmas from The Daily Poem! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit…
The Daily PoemT. S. Eliot's "Journey of the Magi"
Today’s poem is T. S. Eliot’s unconventional look at the very familiar story of the Three Wise Men. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this…
The Daily PoemRobert Frost's "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening"
Today’s poem is a familiar favorite, just right for the “darkest evening of the year.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other…
The Daily PoemRuth Moose's "My Father's Fruitcake"
Ruth Moose is the author of Making the Bed (Main Street Rag Press, 2004) and The Sleepwaker (Main Street Rag Press, 2007). Her poetry has been published in…
The Daily PoemGerard Manley Hopkins' "The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo"
Gerard Manley Hopkins is considered to be one of the greatest poets of the Victorian era. However, because his style was so radically different from that of…
The Daily PoemG. K. Chesterton's "A Child of the Snows"
G. K. Chesterton was one of the dominating figures of the London literary scene in the early 20th century. Not only did he get into lively discussions with…
The Daily PoemMark Doty's "Messiah (Christmas Portions)"
Mark Doty is a poet, essayist, memoirist and author of nine books of poetry. His book Fire to Fire: New and Selected Poems won the 2008 National Book Award. He…
The Daily PoemW. H. Auden's "O Tell Me the Truth About Love"
"Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh." -Wystan Hugh Auden This…
The Daily PoemThree Poems for St. Lucy's Day
December 13 is St. Lucy’s day, traditionally a day celebrating light in the midst of the darkest, coldest time of the year. Today’s poems–from Elaine…
The Daily PoemThomas Hardy's "The Darkling Thrush"
Thomas Hardy (born June 2, 1840 - died January 11, 1928) was born in Dorset, England. The son of a stone mason, he trained as an architect and worked in London…
The Daily PoemLawrence Ferlinghetti's "Constantly Risking Absurdity"
Lawrence Monsanto Ferlinghetti (March 24, 1919 – February 22, 2021) was an American poet, painter, social activist, and co-founder of City Lights Booksellers &…
The Daily PoemMary Jo Salter's "Advent"
Mary Jo Salter is the author of eight books of poetry including The Surveyors (2017) and, most recently Zoom Rooms: Poems (2022). She is also a lyricist whose…
The Daily PoemCzeslaw Milosz' "Blacksmith Shop"
Czesław Miłosz (30 June 1911 – 14 August 2004) was a Polish-American poet, prose writer, translator, and diplomat. He primarily wrote his poetry in Polish…
The Daily PoemHenry Wadsworth Longfellow's "The Village Blacksmith"
"The spirit of the smithy is so close to the spirit of song that it has mixed in a million poems, and every blacksmith is a harmonious blacksmith. Even the…
The Daily PoemRobert Burns' "To a Mouse"
Robert or "Rabbie" Burns (born 25 January 1759, died 21 July 1796) hailed from Alloway, Scotland. Like his father, Burns was a tenant farmer. However, toward…
The Daily PoemRainer Maria Rilke's "Archaic Torso of Apollo"
“Rilke’s most immediate and obvious influence has been upon diction and imagery. [He expressed ideas with] physical rather than intellectual symbols. While…
The Daily PoemJames Whitcomb Riley's "When the Frost is on the Punkin"
James Whitcomb Riley (born October 7, 1849; died July 22, 1916) was author of numerous beloved poetry volumes, and widely known for books such as The Old…
The Daily PoemMary Oliver's "The Mangroves"
In today’s poem, Mary Oliver helps us develop affinity for the unfamiliar. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or…
The Daily PoemA. E. Stallings' "Denouement"
A. E. Stallings is a poet and translator mining the classical world and traditional poetic techniques to craft works that evoke startling insights about…
The Daily PoemWilliam Blake's "Jerusalem"
Poet, Painter, Prophet–Blake “neither wrote nor drew for the many, hardly for work’y-day men at all, rather for children and angels; himself ‘a divine child,’…
The Daily PoemRichard Howard's "Oystering"
Richard Howard (born Oct 13, 1929, died march 31, 2022) was credited with introducing modern French fiction—particularly examples of the Nouveau Roman—to the…
The Daily PoemWilliam Matthews' "On a Diet"
William Procter Matthews III (November 11, 1942 – November 12, 1997) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He earned a BA from Yale and MFA from the University of…
The Daily PoemBen Jonson's "Inviting a Friend to Supper"
Happy Thanksgiving from The Daily Poem! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit…
The Daily PoemTwo Poems About Butter
Today we pay tribute, with poems by Andrea Cohen and Elizabeth Alexander, to the indispensable golden wonder. This is a public episode. If you'd like to…
The Daily PoemW. S. Gilbert's "National Anthem"
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with…
The Daily PoemAllen Tate's "Edges"
John Orley Allen Tate (November 19, 1899 – February 9, 1979) was a poet, critic, biographer, and novelist. Born and raised in Kentucky, he earned his BA from…
The Daily PoemTed Kooser's "Selecting a Reader"
In today’s poem Ted Kooser describes his ideal reader. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus…
The Daily PoemWalt Whitman to His Reader
In today’s poems, Walt Whitman welcomes the reader. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus…
The Daily PoemMarianne Moore's "Poetry"
In today’s poem, Marianne Moore (November 15, 1887 – February 5, 1972) gets candid about poetry itself. One of American literature’s foremost poets, Marianne…
The Daily PoemBilly Collins' "Dear Reader"
Today’s poem is Billy Collins’ take on the time-honored poetic trope: the address to the reader. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with…
The Daily PoemRobert Louis Stevenson's "To Any Reader"
Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He…
The Daily PoemJohn Donne's "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning"
The English writer and Anglican cleric John Donne is considered now to be the preeminent metaphysical poet of his time. He was born in 1572 to Roman Catholic…
The Daily PoemBarbara Ras' "Margin of Error"
Barbara Ras was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and has lived in Costa Rica, Colombia, California, and Texas. She is the author of The Last Skin (2010)…