Share
Read Me a Poem
“Elderly Tears” by Leonardo Sinisgalli
Amanda Holmes reads Leonardo Sinisgalli’s poem, “Elderly Tears,” both in the original Italian and in her own translation.Have a suggestion for a poem? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman.
Pianto antico
by Leonardo Sinisgalli
I vecchi hanno il pianto facile.
In pieno meriggio
in un nascondiglio della casa vuota
scoppiano in lacrime seduti.
Li coglie di sorpresa
una disperazione infinita.
Portano alle labbra uno spicchio
secco di pera, la polpa
di un fico cotto sulle tegole.
Anche un sorso d'acqua
può spegnere una crisi
e la visita di una lumachina.
Elderly Tears
translated by Amanda Holmes
The old find crying easy.
In broad daylight
in a hidden corner of the empty house
they break into tears
caught by the surprise
of infinite despair.
They bring to their lips
a sliver of dried pear
the pulp of a fig cooked on tiles.
Even a sip of water
can quench a crisis as can
the visit of a little snail.
This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.
More episodes
View all episodes
“Absence” by Elizabeth Jennings
02:21|Amanda Holmes reads Elizabeth Jennings’s “Absence.” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman. This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.
“Was He Married?” by Stevie Smith
04:21|Amanda Holmes reads Stevie Smith’s “Was He Married?” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman. This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.
“The Little Boat” by Jane Kenyon
03:31|Amanda Holmes reads Jane Kenyon’s “The Little Boat.” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman.This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.
“Epilogue” by Robert Lowell
03:17|Amanda Holmes reads Robert Lowell’s “Epilogue.” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman. This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.
“Leda and the Swan” by W. B. Yeats
02:34|Amanda Holmes reads W. B. Yeats’s “Leda and the Swan.” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman. This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.
From “Midsummer” by Derek Walcott
03:45|Amanda Holmes reads “XXVIII” from Derek Walcott’s Midsummer. Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman.This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.
“Soap Suds” by Louis MacNeice
02:35|Amanda Holmes reads Louis MacNeice’s “Soap Suds.” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman.This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.
“New Bones” by Lucille Clifton
01:45|Amanda Holmes reads Lucille Clifton’s “New Bones.” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman. This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.
“Halley’s Comet” by Stanley Kunitz
02:40|Amanda Holmes reads Stanley Kunitz’s “Halley’s Comet.” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman. This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.