Programming note: Steyn's Song of the Week can be heard weekly on Serenade Radio, every Sunday at 5.30pm British Summer Time/12.30pm North American Eastern. If you missed today's show, it replays at 5.30am Monday UK time - that's 9.30pm Pacific Sunday evening on the West Coast of North America, or Monday lunchtime in Australia. You can listen from anywhere in the world by clicking the button at top right here.
~Welcome to the second of this season's summer anthologies, in which Mark has put together a quartet of favourite poems, and matched them to some appropriate musical interludes drawn from across half-a-millennium, from Thomas Tallis to Sir Hubert Parry.
The centrepiece of this show is Mark's observance of the centennial of Philip Larkin, with some lines you'll surely know and perhaps some you don't. Steyn also offers three contrasting takes - via England, Ireland and Scotland - on the gloaming. Plus thoughts on the season from Canada and a famous poem that became an even more famous song.
We hope this near hour of words and music provides a respite from the glum state of the world this Sunday. To listen, simply click above.
Thank you for all your kind comments about this series. After last month's show, Steyn Clubber (and Mark's fellow Ontarian) Gail Rothesay writes:
Simply a beautiful presentation of poetry and music. Thank you Mark.
California Clubber Jeff Estes agrees:
Mark, you never cease to amaze. This Sunday poetry is a perfect send-off for my trip to the border. Thanks so much!
Another Steyn Club member, Pat Isom adds:
Oh Mark. Such a delight to hear 'Sumer is icumen in'. One of the essentials from my music appreciation classes. Great to hear the words which get lost among the polyphony. You are a much more complete music presenter. Love ya and your family. Pat
If you'd like to catch up with earlier poems in the series, you can find them on our Sunday Poems home page. As with Tales for Our Time and our music specials and The Mark Steyn Show, we've archived Mark's poetry picks in an easy-to-access Netflix-style tile format that we hope makes it the work of moments to prowl around and alight on something that piques your interest of a weekend, whether Blake or Browning.
Steyn's Sunday Poems is a special presentation of The Mark Steyn Club. Mark launched the Steyn Club over five years ago, and we're immensely heartened by all the longtime SteynOnline regulars - from Fargo to Fiji, Madrid to Malaysia, West Virginia to Witless Bay - who've signed up to be a part of it. Membership in The Mark Steyn Club also comes with non-poetic benefits, including:
~Our latest audio adventure in Tales for Our Time, and its five dozen thrilling predecessors;
~Other audio series on pertinent topics, such as our nightly installments of Climate Change: The Facts, and last year's weekly serialization of Mark Steyn's Passing Parade;
~Exclusive Steyn Store member pricing on over 40 books, mugs, T-shirts, and other products;
~The opportunity to engage in live Clubland Q&A sessions with Mark, such as this coming Friday's;
~Transcript and audio versions of The Mark Steyn Show, and other video content;
~Advance booking for Mark's live appearances around the world, assuming such things are ever again permitted;
~Customized email alerts for new content in your areas of interest;
~and the chance to support our print, audio and video ventures as they wing their way around the planet.
To become a member of The Mark Steyn Club, please click here. And for our special Gift Membership see here. Oh, and by the way, Mark's live appearances often include a live performance of a Sunday Poem.
One other benefit to Club Membership is our Comment Club privileges. So, whether you like this feature or consider Mark's poem readings a bust, then feel free to comment away below. Please do stay on topic on all our comment threads, because that's the way to keep them focused and readable. With that caution, have at it (in verse, if you wish).
