San Antonio College Library

This is an account of the poet and artist's life and work making special note of his wit, his restlessness, his industry, and his capacity for friendship.

Actor Nicholas Parsons delves into the work of Edward Lear, a 19th century English poet and illustrator who pioneered illustrative poetry and fiction. Lear's nonsensical poems are considered unconventional, forward thinking, melancholy, and are meticulously illustrated with both highly realistic and inventive artwork.

In this program, "Prayer Before Birth" by Louis MacNiece, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost, "How Pleasant to Know Mr. Lear" by Edward Lear, and "The Red Wheelbarrow" and "To a Poor Old Woman" by William Carlos Williams are read by a group of contemporary poets. Kate Clanchy, Jamie McKendrick, Tom Paulin, Jean Binta Breeze, Jerome Rothenberg, Sophie Hannah, Matthew Sweeney, and Kenneth Koch offer commentary on the themes and images of the selected...