Versecraft

Where has Versecraft been all my life? It’s a bit late, at eighty years old, to find one’s home. Not complaining, but I could have used it at thirty.

Elijah takes us through his uniquely comprehensive intelligence to understand a single poem. It’s a great journey. He’s the course you wish you took in college.

While the preface indicates that this is a podcast for poetic dissection, there is much more on offer. Versecraft topics run the gambit from homosexuality to feminism to suicide to lust, history, music, abortion, rap, love, and on, and on.. the ground covered is broad and can be bold. It doesn’t just poke at the heart of what humans can really do with language, but what we choose to communicate and how. It presents a poetry which you can interpret, rather than intuit alone. In a world that is flush with feelings of meaninglessness and nihilism Versecraft offers a refreshingly purposeful and serious take on the human experience, as viewed through a particular artistic window. Not to say some of the content isn’t controversial- Elijah definitely rubs the established poetry community the wrong way at times. However, though some may bristle at the delivery, as a podcast Versecraft has ample entertainment and educational value to go along with that bold, refreshing perspective. 5/5.

I discovered Versecraft during a Keats binge over the weekend. My goal was to hear as many of the great poems spoken aloud as possible, and so I came to this first because I enjoyed Blumov’s recitation of “On First Seeing the Elgin Marbles” more than the other options. His commentary turned out to be even more of a highlight. I appreciated his sophistication in making a strong, interpretive reading without veering off into speculation. I also enjoyed his use of critical terms for the sake of fluid communication (we hear of topoi and trochaic substitutions) while resisting the urge toward jargon for its own sake. Since listening to the Keats episode I’ve also tuned in for “Marriage as a Problem of Universals” and the intercalated episode on the nature of art. I’ve been impressed by each of these and look forward to hearing more in the future!