Poetry Friday: Poetry Speaks to Children

Poetry Speaks for Children, edited by Elise Paschen, combines an illustrated poetry book with an audio CD that includes poets & performers reciting many of the titles. One fascinating fact is reflected in the introduction: when a poet recites their own poem, they often make small changes - on the fly - of their work. Young listeners gain an appreciation that even the famous may publish writing that the author might continue to improve through revision – and can compare the written text with the spoken modification. Listen to a clip of Billy Collin’s Wolf.

Older listeners will want to read & listen to Poetry Speaks Expanded : Hear Poets Read their Own Works from Tennyson to Plath, edited by Elise Paschen, Rebekah Presson Mosby and Dominique Raccah, a longer 3-CD title that includes the voices of Tennyson, Browning, and Whitman. Both titles are from Sourcebooks.
Image from www.sourcebooks.com