Midwinter
Roger McGough explores the archives to find the most evocative winter poems read by some celebrated actors. With Thomas Hardy, Miroslav Holub, Robert Frost and Shakespeare.
Roger McGough explores the archives to find the most evocative winter poems read by some of our best actors. Poets Thomas Hardy, Miroslav Holub, Robert Frost and Shakespeare are brought to life by actors including Juliet Stevenson, Dame Harriet Walter and Hugh Laurie. Steeleye Span and Bert Jansch make up the numbers.
Last on
More episodes
Next
![]()
Radio 4 celebrates the shortest day of the year through poetry. Here's what happened.
![]()
Jump off a 50-foot pole, light a fire at crossroads or hunt for light in an ancient tomb.
This Week's Poems
Ìý
Storm
By Roger McGough
Ìý
Birds at Winter Nightfall
By Thomas HardyÌý
From Thomas Hardy: A Critical Selection of His Finest Poetry
Published by Oxford University Press
Ìý
A Winter Night
by Tomas Transtromer
Translated by Robin Robertson
From The Deleted World
Published by Enitharmon Press
Ìý
Noon Thaw
by Tomas Transtromer
translated by Robin Fulton
From New Collected Poems
Published by Bloodaxe
Ìý
The Holly and the Ivy
Performed by Steeleye Span
Ìý
How to Paint the Perfect Christmas
By Miroslav Holub,
translated by Iain Milner and George TheinerÌýÌýÌýÌý
From Miroslav Holub: Selected Poems, translated by Ian Milner and George Theiner
Published by Penguin
Ìý
The Journey of the Magi
By TS Eliot
from Collected Poems
Published by Faber & FaberÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý
Ìý
In the Bleak Midwinter
By Christina Rossetti
Performed by Bert Jansch
Ìý
Winter (extract from ‘The Seasons’)
by James ThomsonÌýÌý
From James Thomson: Poetical Works
Published by Oxford University Press
Ìý
Those Winter Sundays
By Robert HaydenÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý
From The Oxford Book of American Poetry
Published by Oxford University PressÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý
Ìý
An Old Man’s Winter Night
By Robert FrostÌý
From The Poetry of Robert Frost
Published by Jonathan CapeÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý
Ìý
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
By Robert FrostÌýÌý
From The Poetry of Robert Frost
Published by Jonathan CapeÌý
Ìý
‘When Icicles Hang’ from ‘Love’s Labour Lost’
by William Shakespeare
Ìý
London Snow
by Robert BridgesÌýÌý
From:Ìý Robert Bridges’ Poetical Works
Published by Oxford University Press
Ìý
Now Winter Nights Enlarge
By Thomas CampionÌý
From The Oxford Book of Sixteenth Century Verse
Published by Oxford University Press
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý
Credit
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Roger McGough |
Broadcasts
- Sun 18 Dec 2016 16:30Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 4
- Tue 27 Dec 2016 23:30Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 4
Featured in...
![]()
Traditional Christmas
Radio 4 brings you a selection of treats for Christmas.
