Joanna Lumley on poetry, John Masefield, and Walter de la Mare

Joanna Lumley talks to Jolyon Connell, founder of Connell Guides, about her poetry addiction. Joanna also reads her favourite poem, 'Cargoes' by John Masefield and 'The Listeners' by Walter de la Mare.
www.connellguides.com
'The most intelligent guides on the market'

[@sporkfindus4777]

Joanna Lumley always seems to give 110% attention and enthusiasm to every project or interview she takes part in, whether interviewee or interviewer.

[@wisequeens]

I didnt think I could love Joanna any more than I do but this poetry reading was so exquisite and the ebb and flow of conversation between them was so pleasing and without ego.

[@drum5ormore2]

I want an entire audiobook of Joanna Lumley reading poetry

[@johnarmlovesguam]

Joanna Lumley reading and speaking poetry is real made magic.

[@rerubel7953]

Joanna's voice is just captivating... Her enthusiasm drew me in. Thank you for the download....

[@apurbakumarroy1307]

Joana reads and recites the poem The Listeners really beautifully. The Listeners is my favorite poem by Walter De La Mare. Her Style of reciting is dramatic and she dramatically presented the poem. She seems like a classical drama writer and actress.. Absolutely fantastic recitation.

[@axeldurman5224]

Joanna is a gift to the earth as are all of God's gifted creations...unique and beautiful is she...

[@ovirk5685]

In case anyone wonders, it's "The Oxford Book of English Verse 1280 - 1918, chosen and edited by Arthur Quiller-Couch" she is reading from.

[@markthompson50]

My dying wish would be to have Joanna Lumley read poetry to me in that soft, sensual voice she has. What a way to leave this mortal coil!

[@JoachimderZweite]

I love learning new things and listening to new poems. Thanks Mrs. Joanna Lumley.

[@kennedy20007]

He looks at Joanna with such adoration.

[@abigailgerlach5443]

The Listeners is one of my very favorite poems. I can so imagine the ghosts of the past residents waiting for him to fulfill his promise. I try to imagine what the ghosts will do now the promise has been completed.

[@bronwyndoyle5430]

I wish I was a little girl again and Joanna would sit on the side of my bed reading until I was asleep.

[@barrycroucher602]

Had a very similar thought . To be a young boy again and be read stories. And then off to wonderful sleep🙍‍♂️😊💤💤💤

[@dchatsworth2763]

I'm in my 60's & never bothered with poetry ( couldn't understand it ) but after hearing this I'm inspired by your energetic enthusiasm to have a look & start reading. Anyone ideas where to start for a beginner. ??? Namate. x

[@louwetherbee79]

Wordsworth

[@08Stella]

@@ohmyblindman RUMI! Spectacular writing... you can even listen.. xx.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jl7MlYNoaMd7eck

[@floriandiazpesantes573]

kzbin.info

[@JamesBrown-ij1px]

Is there anything more lovely, eloquent, and seductive, as Joanna Lumley reading poetry?

[@classy_dweller]

Outstanding speech uttered this so wonderful lady for one of the most loved English writers !

[@johndrake2729]

Hearing her talk is pure bliss.

[@apcoulthard]

Cargoes is one of my very favourite poems along with I Must go down tothe Sea Again also by Masefield. I t was a joy to hear Cargoes again. Thank you!

[@danielcollier3077]

Fabulous Joanna L., gorgeous speaker. Reminds me of the following passage from 'Plowing the Dark', a novel by Richard Powers. A female artist and a male engineer are working together in a Virtual Reality cave, producing a 3D reproduction of Van Gogh's room in Arles and Rousseau's 'Jungle'. This passage describes in flashback the moment when, years before, he first fell in love with her on watching and hearing her recite Yeats' poem. This is the point she also becomes real, in this novel, to the reader, arguably :- " 'Once out of nature I shall never take my bodily form from any natural thing'. 'The words he supposed, were beautiful. The girl, he decided, was almost. But the way she said them: that was the warrant, the arrest, and the lifetime sentencing. Out of her mouth came a stream of discrete, miraculous gadgets -tiny but mobile creatures so intricately small that generations marveled and would go on marveling at how the inventors got the motors into them. 'Once out of nature. The train of syllables struck the boy engineer as the most inconsolably bizarre thing that the universe had ever come up with. And this female mammal uttered the words as if they we so many fearsome, ornate Tinkertoys whose existence depended upon their having no discernible purpose under heaven. The words would not feed the speaker, nor clothe her, nor shelter her from the elements. They couldn't win her a mate, get her with child, defeat her enemies, or in any measurable way advance the cause of her survival here on earth. And yet they were among the most elaborate artifacts ever made. What was the point? How did evolution justify this colossal expenditure of energy? Once upon a time, rhythmic words might have cast some protecting spell. But that spell had broken long ago. And still the words issued from her mouth, mechanical birds mimicking living things. Sounds with meaning, but meaning to no end.(.) [here I cut a part that I will return to below] 'But such a form of Grecian goldsmiths make'. The girl's lips were a factory of ethereal phonemes. 'Of hammered gold and gold enameling'. Spiegel had never heard words pronounced that way -alloys of confusion and astonishment. Her mouth became the metal-worked machine its sounds described. Whole sentences of hammered gold tumbled out of it. "

[@kathleenmartin7498]

I first became aware of Joanna years ago in her role as Patsy on Absolutely Fabulous. Wow, what a great actress she is, as the real Joanna is nothing like her role then.

[@judistench2167]

She’s simply mesmerizing

[@leenthelnah]

slowly silently now the moon remains one of my favourite childhood poems, which was taught in class 5/6/7 level in my school, 15 years or so ago

[@DB-thats-me]

Thankyou for the Walter Del La Mare reference. I only have ‘Silver’ cast to memory.

[@sistasunshine1697]

Joanna......a goddess. Her passion and extraordinary beauty inside and out is captivating and comforting.

[@annewright7291]

Cargoes, - one of my favourie poems

[@w11granny67]

Anne Wright I also love Cargoes.

[@michaelstamper5875]

Masefield wrote some wonderful poetry. If you haven't already, look up Sea Fever too.

[@sitarnut]

All I could think after listening to her was a favorite book, Thomas Hardy's, "Far From The Madding Crowd."

[@johnarmlovesguam]

Spot on.

[@LaDivinaLover]

This was absolutely stunning and I really want her to speak for an audiobook of poetry!!! ❤️💕

[@GreenOrchid9]

I've been writing and lost some of my poetry as a child secretly and very few knows as an adult but say I should publish. I had One in a company pamphlet and one in a collection with others. I was also exposed to Lewis Carol and English poets along with Shakespeare and exposed my tween who likes to read. The rhythm in the brain and emotional journey...🐩

[@suzyhazelwood9942]

Love this...thanks for putting this up here!! :o)

[@sitarnut]

Right on Suzy!

[@andrewjames6676]

Agree with all shes says. Have learned 90 favourite poems. 7 metres of poetry shelf.

[@russellcampbell9198]

The voice, the diction - beautiful.

[@egonrhoodie2745]

Gorgeous Joanna please do audio books!📚Your voice is golden! 😇🙏😘

[@hubertvancalenbergh9022]

Walter de la Mare is, of course, known for his 'ghostly' stories - "All Hallows", "A Recluse", "Seaton's Aunt", "Mr Kempe" et al.

[@jamesheath7601]

She’s beautiful and I like her voice

[@dennisgarrett9887]

Thanks Joanna, thats was great. I wish some one would write a movie for you that you would help write and thought that was important and let you act in it! of course it would be actors movie with lots of great acting!

[@simonestreeter1518]

Well sounds like you should watch her in "Absolutely Fabulous, the Movie."

[@poppysaleh1949]

Was thrilled to hear The Listener being read by this fab actress. One of my favourite poem

[@fernandamartins5395]

Thrilled, brings back school memories when I recited it at a concert 60 odd years ago!

[@bradleytalbot9731]

Enjoyed this very much! Does anyone know from which book Joanna is reading?

[@barrycroucher602]

Beautiful

[@richH1625]

Cargoes intro 1:50 ,,,,, poem 2:50 The Listener ,,,, 4:00 ,,,, 4:47 To Autumn ,,,,, 6:58 ,,,,,, 7:45

[@annawitter5161]

I love those poets too!!

[@paul_the_merciful]

wonderful

[@judithmitchell1509]

Absolutely lovely🌈🍀🙏💕

[@jimmieoakland3843]

Love me some de la Mare.

[@Ivanhoe2]

Magic!!

[@GreenOrchid9]

She should get commissioned to record poetry on CD...i have written some zl🍷📚

[@Bumblybee256]

What's the book, Joanna!

[@benters3509]

As usual, a connsumate performance. She's very talented. I wish she was a friend. I would absolutely love to know the "real" Joanna. Maybe this is she! Funnily enough, "Cargoes" is one poem that I can remember from schooldays. Maybe because it is about boats. While she was trying to remember the bit about the British boat, I knew it still by heart, and could have prompted her. And as usual, just read down the list of comments here. Not one bad word is ever said about her. That is a stunning fact.

[@simonestreeter1518]

Sadly, I would have agreed until recently, when I heard her tell people to get "the vaccine." She should know better than to play doctor in real life.

[@sopitablinklover]

Hermosa y exquisita. thanks

[@JoshuathePsychic]

Phenomenal. Whoa.

[@Cactuscupholder]

Which book is this?

[@josephhilditch2639]

What book is she reading from?

[@FS-mc3cs]

Does anyone know the title of the anthology she is reading from?

[@JaneValliuse]

I am desperately seeking that book. Have you had any luck?

[@simonestreeter1518]

Well, why doesn't someone arrange for Ms. Lumley to do an audio book of, maybe the one she was reading from, or some other poetry of her choice? Because this was FUCKING FANTASTIC.

[@AntPDC]

Simone Streeter Why must you be so vulgar?

[@Cambria399]

Agreed. Simone we implore you... Coming Here on this sublime and thought provoking site with your trite utterance, must you really? Go wash your mouth and think about what you've learned here.

[@simonestreeter1518]

@@Cambria399 Brilliant satire there, Cambria. You've captured the exertion under the feigned elevated tone to an absolute T. Crushing social pressure, indeed. Very enthusiasm quashing, so quite sure Ms. Lumley would love the irony. Lucky that I came back here to share this video with a friend.

[@johnbrownboots9884]

Lovely, pity about the frequent clips of the bloke

[@ruthbashford3176]

I misread it as I thought it said Joanna Lumley on poverty. Bet she knows a lot about that! LOL

[@richardstevens1385]

Stately Spanish Galleon...

[@bigboy6191]

Patsy????? Omg