J. M. W. Turner, Tintern Abbey, c. 1794
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The BBC is showing a three part Peter Ackroyd series on ‘The Romantics’. Their site contains a few free MP3 poetry readings, including William Wordsworth’s ‘Lines Written A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, On Revisiting The Banks of the Wye During A Tour, July 13, 1798’, a poem describing the redemptive powers of Nature and the consolations that can be had from landscapes held in the memory:
…let the moon
Shine on thee in thy solitary walk;
And let the misty mountain winds be free
To blow against thee: and in after years,
When these wild ecstasies shall be matured
Into a sober pleasure, when thy mind
Shall be a mansion for all lovely forms,
Thy memory be as a dwelling-place
For all sweet sounds and harmonies…
Shine on thee in thy solitary walk;
And let the misty mountain winds be free
To blow against thee: and in after years,
When these wild ecstasies shall be matured
Into a sober pleasure, when thy mind
Shall be a mansion for all lovely forms,
Thy memory be as a dwelling-place
For all sweet sounds and harmonies…
If you want to hear the BBC’s recording of John Clare’s ‘Remembrances’ you will have to be quick. As the site says “unfortunately Remembrances will only be available for 7 days due to copyright.” Those not familiar with this sorry situation can read all about the ongoing copyright dispute on this John Clare site.
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