An Edward Lear Collection
Narrated by Denis Daly, Sarah Bacaller and Lucy Bacaller
Have you been lately to Lake Pipple Popple? Perhaps you have spotted the Pobble who has no toes? Or maybe you have roosted in the Quangle Wangle's hat? Certainly Mr. Edward Lear has (he's written all about it). And now, you can listen to his tales read aloud, full of rhyme, rhythm and words that you won't find in the dictionary!
Edward Lear (1812 - 1888) was a creative and skilled Englishman who composed music, wrote poetry, and was a talented illustrator. He was earning an income from drawing by the age of 16 years. Lear is remembered today primarily for his nonsense poems, stories and songs, and for popularising the poetic form of the limerick. He spent the last decade of his life in San Remo, Italy.
The opening poem, How Pleasant To Know Mr Lear, was later used by T. S. Eliot as the basis of a mocking self portrait, 'How unpleasant to meet Mr. Eliot!'
1 - How Pleasant To Know Mr Lear
2 - The History of the Seven Families of the Lake Pipple-Popple
3 - The Two Old Bachelors
4 - The Pelican Chorus
5 - The Pobble who has no Toes
6 - Mr and Mrs Discobbolus
7 - The Quangle Wangle's Hat
8 - The Akond of Swat
Production copyright 2021 Voices of Today
Edward Lear was an English artist and poet who loved writing nonsense. He is known for popularizing the limerick, a bouncy sort of poem that is often nonsensical and amusing rather than formal or traditional. These poems, stories, and songs are utterly silly, with much of the charm being in the rhythm and rhymes with which they can be read aloud.
The Book of Nonsense was anonymously published in 1846, with 72 limericks about all sorts of nonsense subjects, like an old man with a beard full of birds, a volcano scientist whose work gets ironically burnt in a volcano, and a woman whose nose was so long she needed a hired hand to carry it. These poems are nonsensical and silly.
Nonsense Songs and Stories – Nonsense Songs and Stories was another of Edward Lear’s nonsense publications. Unlike Book of Nonsense, this book consists mainly of longer songs and stories instead of quick limericks. The songs and stories are still though, about personified insects and objects, children sailing to islands made of chocolates and talking vegetables. This book contains the author’s personal favorite of his songs: “The Owl and the Pussycat,” about an owl and cat sailing on a boat made of honey and a piece of paper money, exploring the world and falling in love.
William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic fiction read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly abridged and remastered stories are now available to download for the first time.
A collection of the funny, curious verse written during the 19th and 20th centuries, read by some of Britain's most renowned actors.
Humorous and whimsical verse are collated together in these timeless readings of poetry from our funniest writers.
Performed by Sir John Gielgud; Imogen Stubbs; Tim Pigott-Smith; Peter Orr; Wendy Hillier.
This collection includes poems from:
• A.E. Housman
• Benjamin Franklin King
• J.K. Stephen
• A.C. Swinburne
• Lewis Carroll
• Thomas Hardy
• W.S. Gilbert
• Edward Lear
• William McGonagall
• A.H. Clough
• Robert Barnabas Brough
• Thomas Grey
• Lord Byron
• Walter Raleigh
• Oliver Goldsmith
• George Canning
• John Dryden
• Samuel C. Boston
• H.C. Beeching
• C.S. Calverley
• William Walsh
• W.M. Thackeray
• George Coleman
• Hartley Coleridge
• Charles Cros
• George Du Maurier
• W.R. Mardale
• Matthew Prior
• Earl Of Rochester
• Thomas Love Peacock
• Thomas Hood
• Harry Graham
Love. What is love?The question is asked by each of us but the answer remains elusive. Dictionaries summon up many words but none fulfill. Love itself is often ethereal, felt but only seen in a glance, a look, a fleeting touch. Part of Love’s beauty is perhaps in the fact that the question never can be adequately answered; its ephemeral, a chimera of the heart and only felt. Our own experiences are unique and personal to ourselves and of little help defining it for another.Love is perhaps best expressed through poetry. As Plato said 2500 years ago “At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet”. Writing a love poem for ones’ partner is seen as the most romantic of gestures. It opens our hearts to another's. Lovers love.Here, in this volume history’s greatest poets convey thoughts, feelings and sentiments of love to you in quick (or bite-size) conversations of verse that can slip into your day and your partner's heart.
Stories are one of mankind’s greatest artistic achievements. Whether written down or spoken they have an ability to capture our imagination and thoughts, and take us on incredible journeys in the space of a phrase and the turn of a page.Within a few words of text or speech, new worlds and characters form, propelling a narrative to a conclusion with intricate ease. Finely crafted, perfectly formed these Miniature Masterpieces, at first thought, seem remarkably easy to conjure up. But ask any writer and they will tell you that distilling the essence of narrative and characters into a short story is one of the hardest acts of their literary craft. Many attempt, but few achieve.
Edward Lear was the greatest nonsensicalist of all time. He was the inventor of the limerick and created the Jumblies and The Owl and the Pussycat. This complete edition of Lear's nonsense verse - including the limericks, longer verses, alphabets and his own illustrations - is lovingly restored and beautifully presented, for adults and children to enjoy together.
There was a verse writer named Lear
Who said "in the future I fear
That the verses I write be recorded (they might)
for all who desire so to HEAR"
(R.M. with apologies to E. L.)
Edward Lear is justly renowned as a writer of humorous verse. His "Nonsense Songs"were published in 1871 and includes probably his best known and most loved poem "The Owl and the Pussycat". "Laughable Lyrics " (1877) contains other popular rhymes including "The Dong with a Luminous Nose", "The Courtship of the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo", "The Pobble Who Has No Toes" and more.
Edward Lear was the greatest nonsensicalist of all time. He was the inventor of the limerick and created the Jumblies and The Owl and the Pussycat. This complete edition of Lear's nonsense verse - including the limericks, longer verses, alphabets and his own illustrations - is lovingly restored and beautifully presented, for adults and children to enjoy together.
Nonsense Verse. Each of us has giggled uncontrollably as a child or adult at some silly nothing, some play on words, some nonsense that, for a moment at least, makes the world seem genuinely funny if a little mad. In this volume of Nonsense verse you'll find many favourites to take you back to the time and place where most things are a little upside down or back to front including favourites from Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll and quite a few others to giggle along with.
Edward Lear. Ah Nonsense! The English it is often said have a peculiar brand of humour. Along with copious cups of tea and a stiff upper lip it keeps life together in moments of difficulty and strife. One of our much loved humourists is Edward Lear, famed throughout the World for his Nonsense Verse and limericks.
Born in Holloway, North London Lear was the 21st child of Ann and Jeremiah Lear and raised by his sister, Ann, who was, of course, 21 years older than Edward. His early life was unsettled, prone to illness especially epileptic fits which gave him a character coloured with guilt and shame. However by his 30s he had published his first book of Limericks in which his touching drawings were also displayed.
His works as an artist are easily recognised and he helped to develop many techniques but his later works such as The Owl and the Pussycast, The Jumblies have established first and foremost as a writer of humourous verse. Lear travelled widely during his years and eventually settled in Sanremo it Italy eventually succumbing to death in 1876.
On his nearby headstone are inscribed these lines from Tennyson's To E.L. [Edward Lear], On His Travels in Greece: ... all things fair. With such a pencil, such a pen. You shadow forth to distant men, I read and felt that I was there. These verses and stories are read for you by James Taylor, Nigel Planer and Ghizela Rowe.
Victorian Poetry - Volume 2 - An Introduction. Victoria's reign was long and presided over the restless expansion of the British Empire and reams of creative genius. Within these volumes we can bring only a glimpse of the richness, beauty and words of their poets and their musings on this remarkable age. Many are world renowned - Tennyson, Browning, Arnold, Kipling, Austin, Hopkins, Hardy and Swinburne. Some almost forgotten - Patmore, Newbolt, Synge. And some barely noted - Lyall, Meynell and Merdeith. But together they encompass a great poetical age. In Volume 2 we collect together Thomas Hardy to George Meredith. Among our readers are Richard Mitchley and Ghizela Rowe.
