The Poems of Jonathan Swift, Volume One


Read by Arthur Krolman

(4 stars; 4 reviews)

Sit back and listen to these light-hearted witty rhymes and see the world Jonathan Swift saw -- and maybe recognize your own. Think there is such a thing as corrupt rich guys who pretend they're God's gift to the world? So did Swift. Think some of these types strut around as if calls of nature don't apply to them? So did Swift. In one hilarious poem, he even describes gold diggers fighting over the loaded gentleman's gaseous offerings! His poem On Poetry, A Rhapsody, censored for treasonous mocking of the royal family, is in its rare uncensored form here. As free as he himself is with his sharp tongue against the blackened rich and corrupt , he knows others might have to kiss up to eat. So he includes many verses of advice on how to go about lying for a living, for example, "Your interest lies to learn the knack Of whitening what before was black." Despite the decay and hypocrisy he sees all around him he stays upbeat throughout -- even making fun out of his own tragic onset of deafness. You already know this giant of English literature for the great feast of prose he left us. Think of these delicious poems here as your sinful dessert. - Summary by Arthur Krolman (9 hr 21 min)

Chapters

Ode to Doctor William Sancroft 16:02 Read by Arthur Krolman
Ode to Sir William Temple 11:24 Read by Arthur Krolman
Ode to King William 3:12 Read by Arthur Krolman
Ode to the Athenian Society 17:43 Read by Arthur Krolman
To Mr. Congreve 14:00 Read by Arthur Krolman
Occasioned by Sir William Temple etc. 10:16 Read by Arthur Krolman
Written in a Lady's Ivory Table Book 1:52 Read by Arthur Krolman
Mrs. Frances Harris's Petition 6:45 Read by Arthur Krolman
A Ballad on the Game of Traffic 1:27 Read by Arthur Krolman
A Ballad to the tune of Cutpurse 1:48 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Discovery 2:23 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Problem 3:41 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Description of a Salamander 3:40 Read by Arthur Krolman
To Charles Mordaunt, Earl of Peterborough 1:56 Read by Arthur Krolman
On the Union 1:16 Read by Arthur Krolman
On Mrs. Biddy Floyd 1:03 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Reverse 2:16 Read by Arthur Krolman
Apollo Outwitted 3:16 Read by Arthur Krolman
Answer to Lines from May Fair 1:10 Read by Arthur Krolman
Vanbrugh's House ver.1 4:26 Read by Arthur Krolman
Vanbrugh's House ver.2 6:16 Read by Arthur Krolman
Baucis and Philemon ver.1 10:45 Read by Arthur Krolman
Baucis and Philemon ver.2 8:28 Read by Arthur Krolman
The History of Vanbrugh's House 2:27 Read by Arthur Krolman
A Grub Street Elegy 4:27 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Epitaph 1:01 Read by Arthur Krolman
A Description of the Morning 1:21 Read by Arthur Krolman
A Description of a City Shower 4:20 Read by Arthur Krolman
On the Little House 3:10 Read by Arthur Krolman
A Town Eclogue 5:07 Read by Arthur Krolman
A Conference 3:45 Read by Arthur Krolman
To Lord Harley on his Marriage 3:55 Read by Arthur Krolman
Phyllis 4:48 Read by Arthur Krolman
Horace, Book IV, Ode ix 1:31 Read by Arthur Krolman
To Mr. Delany 5:19 Read by Arthur Krolman
An Elegy 3:47 Read by Arthur Krolman
To Mrs. Houghton and Window Verses 2:07 Read by Arthur Krolman
Apollo to the Dean 5:58 Read by Arthur Krolman
News from Parnassus 4:24 Read by Arthur Krolman
Apollo's Edict 3:33 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Description of an Irish Feast 3:00 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Progress of Beauty 6:04 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Progress of Marriage 7:43 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Progress of Poetry 2:25 Read by Arthur Krolman
The South Sea Project 11:03 Read by Arthur Krolman
A Prologue on Stroller Licensing 3:38 Read by Arthur Krolman
Epilogue to Mr. Hoppy 3:35 Read by Arthur Krolman
Prologue for the Weavers 2:43 Read by Arthur Krolman
Epilogue for the Weavers 3:15 Read by Arthur Krolman
Answer to Prologue and Epilogue 3:34 Read by Arthur Krolman
On Gaulstown House 1:28 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Country Life 6:21 Read by Arthur Krolman
Dr. Delany's Villa and Delville Window 3:06 Read by Arthur Krolman
Carbery Rocks 3:21 Read by Arthur Krolman
Copy of the Birthday Verses on Mr. Ford 5:07 Read by Arthur Krolman
On Dreams 2:40 Read by Arthur Krolman
Dr. Delany to Dr. Swift and The Answer 4:02 Read by Arthur Krolman
A Quiet Life and a Good Name and Advice 4:01 Read by Arthur Krolman
A Pastoral Dialogue 5:09 Read by Arthur Krolman
Desire and Possession 2:45 Read by Arthur Krolman
On Censure 1:35 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Furniture of a Woman's Mind 2:41 Read by Arthur Krolman
Clever Tom Clinch 1:31 Read by Arthur Krolman
Dr. Swift to Mr. Pope 1:23 Read by Arthur Krolman
A Love Poem 2:02 Read by Arthur Krolman
Bouts Rimez 1:52 Read by Arthur Krolman
Helter Skelter 2:09 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Puppet Show 3:32 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Journal of a Modern Lady 11:16 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Logicians Refuted 2:40 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Elephant; or the Parliament Man 1:45 Read by Arthur Krolman
Paulus Epigram and The Answer 6:42 Read by Arthur Krolman
A Dialogue 2:40 Read by Arthur Krolman
On Burning a Dull Poem 1:00 Read by Arthur Krolman
An Excellent New Ballad 4:07 Read by Arthur Krolman
On Stephen Duck 0:53 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Lady's Dressing Room 5:41 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Power of Time 0:42 Read by Arthur Krolman
Cassinus and Peter 5:29 Read by Arthur Krolman
A Beautiful Young Nymph 4:11 Read by Arthur Krolman
Strephon and Chloe 14:02 Read by Arthur Krolman
Apollo; or A Problem Solved 1:41 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Place of the Damned 1:15 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Day of Judgment 1:22 Read by Arthur Krolman
Judas 1:41 Read by Arthur Krolman
An Epistle to Mr. Gay 10:14 Read by Arthur Krolman
To a Lady 10:37 Read by Arthur Krolman
Epigrams on Busts in Richmond Hermitage 1:36 Read by Arthur Krolman
Swift's Birthday Presents 4:41 Read by Arthur Krolman
An Invitation, by Dr. Delany 1:04 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Beasts' Confession 8:37 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Parson's Case 1:51 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Hardship upon the Ladies 0:45 Read by Arthur Krolman
A Love Song 1:50 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Storm 3:40 Read by Arthur Krolman
Ode on Science 2:15 Read by Arthur Krolman
A Young Lady's Complaint 2:04 Read by Arthur Krolman
On the Death of Dr. Swift 21:53 Read by Arthur Krolman
On Poetry, a Rhapsody 21:36 Read by Arthur Krolman
Verses sent to the Dean on his Birthday 2:59 Read by Arthur Krolman
Epigram by Mr. Bowyer 0:41 Read by Arthur Krolman
On Psyche 1:05 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Dean and Duke 1:26 Read by Arthur Krolman
Swift on his own Deafness 1:31 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Dean's Manner of Living 0:47 Read by Arthur Krolman
Verses for Fruit Women 2:40 Read by Arthur Krolman
On Rover, a Lady's Spaniel 2:36 Read by Arthur Krolman
Epigrams on Windows 4:44 Read by Arthur Krolman
To Janus, on New Year's Day 1:34 Read by Arthur Krolman
Miscellaneous 10:03 Read by Arthur Krolman
An Apology to Lady Carteret 7:15 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Birth of Manly Virtue 6:24 Read by Arthur Krolman
On Paddy's Character 1:46 Read by Arthur Krolman
An Epistle to Lord Cartaret by Delany 5:36 Read by Arthur Krolman
An Epistle upon an Epistle 5:40 Read by Arthur Krolman
A Libel on Dr. Delany and Lord Carteret 8:27 Read by Arthur Krolman
To Dr. Delany on the Libels 7:17 Read by Arthur Krolman
Directions for a Birthday Song 11:08 Read by Arthur Krolman
The Pheasant and the Lark 10:58 Read by Arthur Krolman
Dean Smedley's Petition to the Duke 6:53 Read by Arthur Krolman
Parody on a Character of Dean Smedley 2:21 Read by Arthur Krolman