Jenny Joseph reads her poem 'Warning'

Jenny Joseph reads her poem 'Warning', Britain's most popular post-war poem, according to poll conducted by the BBC in 1996. Born in 1932, Jenny Joseph first published 'Warning' in 1961 in The Listener -- when she was 29 -- and later included it in her second collection, ROSE IN THE AFTERNOON (1974) and then in her SELECTED POEMS from Bloodaxe in 1992. Pamela Robertson-Pearce filmed her reading the poem in Ledbury, Herefordshire, in July 2008, during Ledbury Poetry Festival. Jenny Joseph lived in London for many years, later retiring to Gloucestershire. She died in 2018. If you want to read 'Warning', order your copy of Jenny Joseph's SELECTED POEMS: www.bloodaxeboo...

[@Keeleycide]

I lost my Granny a week ago. She always read this to us so we are going to read this at her funeral 💜

[@dwaitanagrecha5607]

So sorry for your loss 🙁

[@laburgy]

RIP Jenny Joseph, you wrote a great poem that will help many go us become relaxed old ladies XX

[@josephsonoftheuniverseahur6976]

Good on you... I prefer to be a crazy old man on the outside and Christ himself on the inside..

[@johnbranson3298]

It's not about waiting to be old. It's about being a bit more fun when we are young.

[@nathanm1608]

Poets don't always read their work very performatively or captivatingly, but she does. This is the best reading I've heard of this legendary piece.

[@katieobbink4612]

This is brilliant in a way that can only be truly appreciated by those who have made PLANS for when they are old.

[@sarahjoyholden7856]

This was read at a friend's funeral yesterday, first time I'd heard it. It summed up my friend beautifully it was a favourite of hers

[@dianalesueur2297]

I have always remembered the first line of this. And loved purple. M then husband upholstered our huge couch in purple velour in 1970. I evolved over the years, ended up living near my son and his family for my declining health years. I fell down porch steps taking my 119 lb dearest companion, Jamie out for his walk. I broke my right wrist, panicked since I am a quilter. They asked me what color cast I wanted, yup, Purple! I am 74 now and only working with bright colored fabric especially purples. Perfect purple for these very difficult last couple of years we have been going through.

[@stanom1000]

Love this! I am a Red Hat Queen.....thank you Jenny Joseph for this fabulous poem, that inspired a whole generation of women of a certain age to wear purple and red! Your poem has brought fun and happiness to many of us.

[@priyeenemiiyalla-amadi9170]

I'm inspired! I shall wear purple, and pink, and yellow, and any other colour that catches my fancy.... BEFORE I grow old!

[@Freimaco]

+Priye Iyalla-Amadi - but of course :)

[@josephsonoftheuniverseahur6976]

No such thing as young or old... It's just you are here. Then your not.... Life is easy when you know... Life is about striping away.. Not gathering to you.. Look at short movie. The spiritual cicada. You will see the truth of all things in that moment of transformation.... Loce

[@kirstymoss9810]

Honestly the best poem i ever read. What an amazing woman. ❤

[@meepymcmeep250]

This poem was read at my Auntie's funeral last year. It is very my Aunty S. 💖💖💖

[@oliviastevens6512]

I lost my Nan yesterday and this was our favourite poem, I will be reading it out at her funeral ❤

[@rosalindtrew]

So sorry for your loss Olivia. This poem was read at my best friends funeral to-day, made people smile and my friend would have laughed! I'm sure you'll read it beautifully, God bless, take care, xxxx

[@mintley8]

I read this at my mother's funeral, I'd giving her a copy for her 50th, because the minute I read it I thought of her.

[@roberthoward6590]

She wrote this when she was 29.

[@ryanmc2241]

This was my Mum's favourite poem which was read out by my brother at her funeral. Makes me think of her everytime I read or hear it x

[@lipstickwarriors715]

Fantastic! Thank you for posting! This is a definite share... how special to have Jenny Joseph read her own poem. Be well to all of us Lipstick Warriors! 💋

[@rievans57]

Lovely. Poetry is nothing more than a transfer of emotion.

[@peterdoherty7744]

The inland sea is my favourite poem 💙 💕 love is a splendid thing and Jenny knows it well 😊

[@LauraLMcneil]

I find this poem quite moving.

[@tesskopsa5405]

I just love this poem. Having the author read it is wonderful. She reads it exactly how I've heard it in my mind (minus the British accent). Wonderful poem! Wonderful way to look at aging...and the freedom is can create.

[@MrTeamenglish]

my favorite poem! And a real treat to hear Jenny reading it herself. I made a tapestry of the poem that hangs in my hallway a few years ago that kept my hands busy when quitting smoking. Looking at it reminds me how well I did and not to take life too seriously!

[@anniej1477]

A lovely reading, made special by being the author. She has a certain something and I bet she would be a marvellous lady to know.

[@bobbierowbottom1403]

Friends at art group showed me your poem, it was great thinking someone could be so brave and do those daft things. We all get a little muddled from time to time and do not always wish to conform to standards. Be a happy pensioner and make everyone smile.

[@gmed2]

One of my favorite poems! Love seeing her read it, she brings out so much meaning! People who love this poem should look up Birches by Robert Frost

[@BandyTales]

I had birches last year in my English course at school💜

[@dokulover]

makes me cry

[@myfuneralinsuranceforsenio7605]

Great Poem. Thanks for sharing

[@Purrpussful]

I just read this to a friend and was not only delighted to discover this video, but very pleased that my reading was nearly identical to hers. I just wish that, y'know, she'd worn a lovely purple frock and odd red hat for the reading. Makes me wonder if she really turned out as she envisioned she would when she wrote it as a young woman.

[@marthajf73]

Purrpussful-she's not old yet! You'll understand that some day. The older I get, the older "old" becomes.

[@AYS4real]

What a beautiful piece.#inspiring

[@whichypoohs]

Well I wear my onesie to the Co-op :)

[@Mozpam]

RIP Jenny. Thank you for your lovely poem. (Jenny Joseph died on 8th January 2018)

[@watermelonsunglop]

Iconic and timeless

[@justthinkingaboutthearmyofbees]

This poem was great in edexcel English Lit paper 2!!!

[@eamonbloomfield8498]

RIP Jenny. Love your poem.

[@YouLikeKrabbyPattiesDontYou]

Awesome! I've loved this since I was little. I'll be doing this when I'm old.

[@marthajf73]

When I am 96, I intend to have a cane, and if anyone pisses me off, whack them on the shin with it:)

[@mikethompson5549]

Great poem that inspires....and always makes me smile

[@PoetryETrain]

Thank you, this has been added to our playlists...

[@cadencedaniels425]

Rest In Peace to a beautiful person and amazing poet 🤍

[@sadhappy8860]

I have always loved this poem. It's so damn punky!

[@LisaPittman42]

I never heard of this poet until I got her book when I am an old Woman I shall wear purtle.

[@cyclops8238]

She was the model for the Columbia pictures logo.

[@To.me.my.X-Men.97]

​@@cyclops8238HOLY SHIT😮

[@Guard6777]

superb

[@mrparlanejxtra]

She is old there but not wearing purple. I wanted this read at my mothers funeral but was voted down at the last minute. Her friend who was going to read it dressed in purple.

[@carolbowen1693]

I realize this is an old post but I was just thinking of this poem (I had it on a poster and can't find it) so thanks for posting this-love it! p,s I am old and I love wearing purple!

[@BloodaxeBooks]

Thank you. Old posts can be the best. This is one we hope will last the test of time - being *about* the test of time in many ways,

[@fancyfreesee1977]

Wonderful!

[@andhykar3591]

Such a great poem 😊

[@BloodaxeBooks]

@AdrienneMarks The sound is fine on the video and on KZbin, Adrienne - must be a problem at your end. She does read it beautifully, so I'm sorry you weren't able to hear that.

[@peterdoherty7744]

The best 👌 poet I have ever read 📚 well cool 😎 awesome 👌 jenny

[@NeonsStyleHD]

Awesome poem

[@buremo6]

I found this poem in a thrift store, in a purple frame! I gave it to a woman friend, for her 75th birthday. We decided that it was written at an earlier time, when women worried about wearing red and purple, because now in the town we live, the girls have purple hair and do swear in the streets.

[@mvvagner]

love her

[@Warick.Grubb.]

that's great !

[@jaysoncarmichael1238]

A lady in Southport did wear purple, known as the Purple Lady

[@Sean-fs5om]

Man, I kinda have a newfound appreciation for poetry

[@nawfalAbdullah]

Sth great

[@landyvalcourt9382]

I got this poster ever morning I come out my room and read it

[@landyvalcourt9382]

I'm not old

[@landyvalcourt9382]

I wasn't born wen she made this po

[@JASONismNo1]

Awwwwwwwww

[@mirtikaschultz3282]

Wish she'd worn a purple shirt and red beret. :D Love the poem.

[@Gresaaa]

i loveeee helena bonham carter's reading of this

[@sapper82]

RIP Jenny Joseph.

[@angeledumesny6729]

LOVE THIS ! just a little sad that she didn't took this occasion to wear purple...

[@emmahsu5720]

yes! So moving and wonderful! Though i do wonder why this was posted in 2010 and the description says she died in 2018...creepy

[@BloodaxeBooks]

No creepiness intended Emmi. It was just that we felt that we needed to update the description after Jenny's death.

[@emmahsu5720]

Bloodaxe Books ohhhhhh okay I get it now

[@heidiannemorris]

Why wasn't she wearing purple....? ;)

[@raisinh2k11]

+Heidi Anne Morris - Maybe she's not old yet.

[@heidiannemorris]

raisinh2k11 ;O) that's what I thought too

[@raisinh2k11]

:-)

[@Freimaco]

+Heidi Anne Morris She's far too 'young' still :)

[@NeonsStyleHD]

Your not truly old until you can't remember yesterday!

[@justcurious3119]

Why do I feel like crying?

[@jaysoncarmichael1238]

A lady in Southport did wear purple

[@ShirleyCooper]

now i'm old I wear what I like

[@claudiaclemente3639]

"La muerte de la lengua inglesa" de Myriam Moscona me trajo a este video. ✌✨

[@azukazu]

One of the lines was: ‘I shall go out in my slippers in the rain’ Am I the only person who’s actually done that before? ;-;

[@gurugnorm]

I a Red Hat Queen and I do a reading of this with props! Pretty funny!

[@kattiepierre5981]

jenny

[@josephsonoftheuniverseahur6976]

It's been a thousand years alone in this deep pit planing my great return to chaos. My plans of destruction carefully later out... But you made me see life and love and even homer too... So on my return no need to fear. ..i shall be the dragon in your garden picking your flowers not in hate but in love.... ☺

[@davidroberts8731]

deception and torment... these spirits were cast in swine

[@deborahsingh-bhatti441]

She should have worn purple with a red hat which doesn't go!

[@deborahsingh-bhatti441]

You need to listen to the poem to understand!

[@saniaasan]

+Deborah Singh-Bhatti Maybe she thought she isn't old enough to do it yet. :)

[@Freimaco]

+Deborah Singh-Bhatti - No, she's still practising :)

[@johnmcgonagle7582]

I call

[@michaelallison5337]

Reminds me of mud pies

[@marthajf73]

She's not wearing purple because she's NOT old yet!!!

[@kathunsworth1328]

So deliciously wonderful.

[@audreychin5680]

Love this poem! Exactly what I want to do right now before I get too old to enjoy all that lack of decorum

[@kathunsworth1328]

Me too Audrey, me too, it is adorable and I read it out to my mum.

[@kathunsworth1328]

Kaye Sims I love it Kaye it made me laugh.

[@marjiepage7574]

I am going to start wearing purple with pride. Watch out when i start gobbling up free samples in shops and start dancing in the street.

[@jaysoncarmichael1238]

Lady in Southport actually done it

[@grenvillephillips6998]

It is an amusing and poignant poem about old age but sadly, these days, such eccentric behaviour would get someone sectioned and banged-up very quickly.

[@matthewniles2817]

Wow. Four noobs at life disliked this. Shame.

[@OLIVER3269]

she howls lightly. her voice raps. her tone flat. her presentation as if she gonna divorce some one.

[@emmadownunder3833]

I agree. It’s a horrid ‘poem’ read terribly. No idea why people think it’s great. It’s not.

[@pivpo]

It's scandal. She doesn't wear purple!

[@ethanboycredo4265]

Jenny Joseph Was The Columbia Pictures' Woman

[@nicky-pn3pj]

Poem for the young. Why wait.