"As I Walked Out one Evening" by W. H. Auden (poetry reading)

[thissong4you]

A beautiful reading of one of my favorite poems, surpassed only by your reading of it in "Your Crooked Heart."

[SpokenVerse]

@thissong4you It was the same reading, taken from here. For some reason it impressed me too. It must have been the cinematography and the long poignant pauses.

[thissong4you]

@SpokenVerse That''s amazing, Tom. I truly did not realize it was the same reading. I guess the cinematography, the music, the fox, and the other accoutrments just take your brilliant reading over the top!

[ThrowingPeaches]

I adore this poem. It's brilliant, and I wish I could pick a favorite line, but I can't. I just love the whole work.

[EdNortonisMineLol]

Perfect

[EdNortonisMineLol]

Beautiful

[persevere4]

Auden among the first “Beats”(early modernist) generation of his time, break from strict verse, wandering off confusing the purest, the critic’s of his time, readers made this a sensation along with other verse/prose poems, cubist painting, jazz improvisation, Duncan dance, Joyce the rest, the absurd Finally Brecht et al, Working hypothesis rule there are no rules?, an oxymoron? I have heard it read differently, more fervor-more passion please ” 'Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”

[SpokenVerse]

@persevere4 If it sounds different in your mind's ear then the only way of letting the world hear how you think it should be read is to read it yourself. You're just one opinion of 27,000

I can only try to read it as it sounds in my mind's ear, as best I can. Most readers of poetry use an injudicious amount of passion and fervour - in my opinion. Try it and see. You might have heard Dylan Thomas read it.

[persevere4]

@SpokenVerse, your poems are manuia (pardon spelling)bread of the gods, I probably have wrong I am not into research 4 quick response to you I find just fine. As you say this recited different waysU even may recite different on a different day, it (readings) are as a jazz improvisation, its said Bird never played the same song the same way ever, as Coltrane and Desmond. No offense intended at all, I maybe should have worded different I applaud your selection, bringing this to the world-BRAVO

[SpokenVerse]

@persevere4 Thank you for your kind words. If you want to hear Dylan Thomas read it, then superimpose this link in the YouTube address line:

watch?v=lXkRPpOQLYc

[manobilification]

So hypnotic... :')

[mmmbeachlover]

if some regular numpty wrote this he would be shot down by the illuminated ones for its meter alone!

in a good peice you should not be able to fit another word, and yet...'with ALL your crooked heart'

Some lovely lines though. Auden got away with much, so so can you..and let no one tell you differently!

[SpokenVerse]

@mmmbeachlover Most critics don't claim to know more about writing poetry than W H Auden. They are usually content with claiming to know how it should be read. Part of the genius lies in the metre - the line-shortening is called "catalexis". It's rarely used by the old ladies who write verses for Christmas Cards. Perhaps you've read a few of those lately?

[zodenaandedijk]

but he mispronounces "bow"... How weird is that?

[brelfan]

To me, best line in poetry, "You shall love your crooked neighbor with your crooked heart." As for the rest, nice. But I like growing old. My neighbor and I were always crooked. Took age for me to forget, accept, have fun.

[Lesmo1]

"Vaguely life leaks away"

How true.

Beautifully read, thank you.

[xxTheILLPilLxx]

im pretty high. and that was incredible. i want to cry

[saddlestone11]

Enchanting indeed.....really quite wonderful and evocative!

[raintree319]

brilliant..i love your readings

[nnaammuuss]

@SpokenVerse wow man! you bowl me over. are you a professional? you could put a lot of guys at hollywood out of their business.

Anyways, great... great going! please continue putting more stuff like this up for people like me ('m subscribing right now). Also consider indexing/categorizing them where people could surf and read. may be an independent blog site...

[vivascargill]

we had to memorize this in highschool--now they watch cartoons

[samisacool1]

"And the crack in the tea-cup opens

A lane to the land of the dead"

One of my all time favourite bits of poetry.

Great reading.

[ClarityinWonderland]

"Time watches from the shadow

And coughs when you would kiss"

You show an emotional restraint that really adds to the tone of the poem. Hope you can listen to my novice reading some time.

[geordiesammi]

My favourite part : 'O let not Time decieve you, You cannot cconquer Time.

i really enjoyed listening to you reading it :) awesome poem!

[GhostOfRupertBrooke]

Far be it from me to be picky, but Auden's own recording (also on YT) indicates a key difference. When you say 'the diver's brilliant bow', you say it like a bow/curtsey. Auden pronounces it as in bow and arrow. Not a criticism, I love your channel, but a curiosity of interpretation.

[brentwms]

Thank you - what a great reading!

[charlottepoet]

the tea cup line is one of my all time favorites. thanks so much for sharing!

[uberveng]

thanks, great poem and reading.

[Absolutsublime1]

Thank you for this and many others, your voice is perfect for these readings.

[TheTanaiste]

excellent

[10509991]

This poem represents a old friend of mine, I just heard it by first time.

Love, written in so many ways like poems, words, kisses, hugs, or just a long and deep silence.

Lovers, keep doing what we do best, don´t let yourself go and breathe life, smell it, drink it and live it.

When you met the person who will change your destiny in so many ways, tell she/ he that you love her/ him and kiss her/ him, I promise that´s going to be the happiest moment of your life.

[charmer002]

One of my favourite poems a great piece of work! Nice to hear it being read

Thanks

[CliClaClaire]

i love the parts: i love you, dear, i love you till china and africa meet and the river jumps over the mountain and the salmon sing in the street. and also and the giant is entchanting to jack great articulation. and of course you shall love your crooked neighbour with your crooked heart. this ist true art in my eyes.

[rosesredvioletsblue]

Yes, one of my favorite poems, also.

So beautifully written, and how enchanting to hear it recited.

Thank you, SpokenVerse, for the video.

[CityofDreadfulDelite]

My most favorite poetry piece and so beautifully recited... I didn't want it to end.

Thank you.

[funrizwan]

@CityofDreadfulDelite can I get some hep?

it's about how time goes on and you cant do anything about it?

i'm not sure help

[rehamrehamrehamreham]

I've loved this... Love the poem. There is a reading of this poem by Dylan Thomas that I can never find. I wish someone can post it.

[iluvwordsiluvwords]

Thank you.

[SoapySophh]

This is amazingly read.

It really helped me write my essay about it.

<3

[roosterbasher]

This gets me to a place of deeper mind . All the pop mainia withers away and the truth stays behind. With its crooked smile, it opens my eyes to the rose palely dying. Waiting to run its dull thorns, through my wanting surfast saturated eyes