226 episodes
Critical Readings CriticalReadings.com
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- Arts
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4.7 • 26 Ratings
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Critical Readings examines key literary texts using close reading and critical analysis, and explains these approaches in discussion. Listeners will learn about the texts themselves and about how to approach a text for critical analysis.
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CR Episode 226: Le Morte Darthur, Part I
The panel discusses the biography of Sir Thomas Malory, the textual history of Le Morte Darthur, the lineage of King Arthur, and the initial formation of the textual world of Arthurian England, including Merlin, Uther, Igraine, Morgause, and Mordred.Continue reading
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CR Episode 225: All for Love, Act V
The panel closes discussion of Dryden's All for Love with an examination of the death of Marc Antony and Cleopatra, how the scene differs from that of Shakespeare, and what role is ultimately played by Octavius, even despite his absence from the stage.Continue reading
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CR Episode 224: All for Love, Act IV
The panel discusses the penultimate act of Dryden's All for Love, with special attention to the depictions (or rather, lack thereof) of Octavius, the villainous portrayal of Alexas, and the play's lack of a clearly-defined figure of heroic virtue.Continue reading
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CR Episode 223: All for Love, Act III
The panel discusses the third act of Dryden's most successful play, All for Love, with particular attention to Marc Antony's lack of constancy, and Dryden's artistic reimagining of historical events in order to place Octavia in Cleopatra's palace.Continue reading
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CR Episode 222: All for Love, Act II
The panel reads the second act of John Dryden's All for Love, with special attention to the rhetorical manoeuvres of Cleopatra, and the psychological state of both Antony and Cleopatra, as their outsized emotional investments doom them both.Continue reading
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CR Episode 221: All for Love, Act I
The panel reads the first act of John Dryden's take on the story of Antony and Cleopatra, All for Love, with a focus on Marc Antony's mental state, the military situation with which he is confronted, and whether he is at fault for his circumstances.Continue reading
Customer Reviews
I love this book club/podcast
This is a wonderful podcast for people open to learning about literature, plays, and poetry beyond what they have already experienced. It is just the right blend of serious scholarship with pop cultural references and humor. A special treat is being able to post comments on the website and to have interchanges amongst the book club members as well as with the professionals. I don’t know of any other podcast that does this.
Wonderful Insight and Recommendations
For a long time I have enjoyed writing self-reflective prose and poetry, but I’ve never felt I’ve had the tools to write well. This podcast has given me some inspiration to continue writing and experimenting both in writing and in music.
So few modern musicians still possess such rich poetic power (though Joe Pug and Marcus Mumford may be an exception). But, podcasts like this keep the knowledge of great poetry alive, so that just like Longfellow’s “footprints on the sands of time,” we might be inspired to keep the tradition alive.
I have greatly enjoyed listening to the wonderful depth and insight in this podcast, and I hope to continue writing and growing my own knowledge base.
Best poetry podcast
As a practicing poet, I have searched long and hard for podcasts that do in-depth analyses of the great works. Most just do snippets of readings, and many focus on contemporary free-versers with a political agenda who are, in the scheme of things, highly forgettable. Only a handful analyze works of the past, and this is the only one I’ve found that does multi-part episode series on longer works. Great for students, practitioners looking to better understand their craft, and general interest.