The History of English Poetry cover art

The History of English Poetry

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 15 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
More purchase options

The History of English Poetry

By: Peter Whitfield
Narrated by: Derek Jacobi
Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £12.61

Buy Now for £12.61

English literature is a treasure trove of wonderful poetry. From Shakespeare to Milton, Keats to Shelley and Tennyson to Yeats, this accessible history (especially written for Naxos Audiobooks) introduces the listener to countless small masterpieces, including all the old favorites and some lesser-known gems.

Whitfield explores this most expressive of art forms and traces the historical development of a rich and diverse canon of poetical works. The lyrical powers of the most remarkable poets of the English language are illustrated with over 70 extracts.

This is the latest release from Naxos Audiobooks' successful History series, which includes accounts of English literature, theatre, and opera.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2009 Naxos Audiobooks (P)2009 Naxos Audiobooks Classics Poetry English Poetry
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
All stars
Most relevant
This book covers a brief history of English poetry from beowulf to the 1960's encompassimg English and American poets. Lucid commentary and good readings from Jacob. Could have done with a little more poetry and less commentary perhaps. But you certainly get the sweep of history and poetic movements. Peters out after modernism, thankfully because who wants a disjointed narrative of postmodernism.

Great survey of poetry

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
As a novice in the field and history of poetry. I found this introduction both informative and inspiring. The overall narration by Derek Jacobi was as brilliant, as you would expect. The poetry readings by various artists were good.
A number of commenters have pointed out the books limitations, such as its infrequent female voices and I would add to this its failure to include poetry from the multicultural world, that the English language has been part of for several centuries. However, that said I have been encouraged by this book to continue the poetic journey and make those and other discoveries along the way.

An Ideal Gateway Into The World Of English Poetry.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you listen to The History of English Poetry again? Why?

Yes, but only to dip in and out of parts that might be relevant.

What other book might you compare The History of English Poetry to, and why?

A Way With Words IV By Prof Michael D.C Drout. Some of the same ground is covered, but from different angles.

What does Derek Jacobi bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

He brings to life what might otherwise be quite dry.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No - Far too long for that and I also wanted to seek out some of the poets mentioned.

Any additional comments?

It's a good history to & introduction. Not all of it is appealing to me, but there's a lot packed in & is a good introduction. I was a little surprised by the detour to the USA & I'm not convinced it's relevancy back to English poetry was totally smooth.

For Those With a Serious Interest in the Subject

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
As someone who likes poetry but never studied it I found this audio book superb
I learnt so much discovered truly outstanding works all delivered by a fantastic narrator whose voice was sublime

mesmerising

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is an accessible and compellingly narrated introduction to the history of poetry. Some have accused Whitfield of shallowness for his sparing analyses, but his central aim is synthesis, not analysis. His goal is to lay out the great drama of evolving style in English poetry and, in this, he succeeds. If you are an aspiring poet, here is a perfect opportunity to think through issues of form and content, as writers across the centuries have grappled with them. True, the extracts are often too short, but it forms a perfect companion to a good anthology (such as Norton’s).

Engaging, Informative, Inspiring

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews