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The Poems of T. S. Eliot  By  cover art

The Poems of T. S. Eliot

By: T. S. Eliot
Narrated by: Jeremy Irons, Dame Eileen Atkins
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Publisher's summary

Originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4, Jeremy Irons' perceptive reading illuminates the poetry of T. S. Eliot in all its complexity. Major poems range from 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' through the post-war desolation of 'The Waste Land' and the spiritual struggle of 'Ash-Wednesday', to the enduring charm of 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'.

The Spectator praised Jeremy Irons' interpretation as 'so accessible, reading Eliot as if finding his words for the first time, grappling with them, relishing them, using them to express feelings that we all share as we struggle to accept, to recognise or relinquish'. Dame Eileen Atkins also appears alongside Jeremy Irons in the reading of 'The Waste Land'.

UPDATED EDITION WITH POEM TITLES FOR EASY NAVIGATION.

©2015 BBC (P)2016 BBC

Critic reviews

"For such a major poet, Eliot left a fairly sparse body of work, and all his mature poems are here. And while many consider him to be a fairly austere modernist, these readings by Jeremy Irons bring out the human passion (and sometimes the intellectual passion) that lurks in the poems.... His versions are simply more human, as beautifully crafted as the poems themselves." (AudioFile)

Featured Article: The Best Poetry Audiobooks to Listen to for National Poetry Month


It’s a common turn of phrase that poetry is meant to be heard. Tone, pauses, cadence, and vocal inflections all serve to further the emotional pull of modern and historical poetic masterpieces. In audio, poems can be heard and enjoyed just as the poet meant them to be. Taking into account not only the words themselves but the way they are spoken, our list provides a look at the power behind a poem, celebrating those works which have touched our souls.

What listeners say about The Poems of T. S. Eliot

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

Accessible and enjoyable....

Jeremy Irons narration is so spot on... to the tone, tenor and feel of T.S. Elliot's poetry that I re-listened to many of the poems.
Yes, it takes a bit of life experience to enjoy Elliot and yes, he writes from his time and from his insights and passions, but much of good literature and poetry takes some care and attention to digest..... still, it is so good the soul. Your life is richer for taking the time while driving in the car, in the kitchen, in the garage, out on a walk or sitting in a good chair by the fireplace. I strongly recommend this audible book. I have 200 plus audible books and this one ranks in my top 10.

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8 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Indexing has been corrected.

I was hesitant to purchase, given the number of complaints that the reading was one long item with no verbal titles or indexing of the individual poems. All the longer poems are now verbally introduced and all the poems are indexed and titled in the Chapters section.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Beautiful performance, Great poems!

I love Eliot's poetry, and I deeply enjoyed hearing it read by such skilled voices! A fantastic recording!

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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No poem titles?

If they had included the poem title in the "chapters", It would have bee n a 5 star.

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Jeremy Irons Voice = EVERYTHING

I listen for 15 to 20 minutes every night for the content and the fact Jeremy Irons' voice is the only soothing sound that can put me to sleep. Love it.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Too many cat poems! Wow, I never expected that.

I struggled to finish it. The first poems are fantastic and evocative. Then out of nowhere it becomes a never ending stream of silly cat themed rhymes. So shocking

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent read. Very well done and entertaining.

Mr Irons brings a wonderful version of theae poems. Highly recommend this version of Elliot.

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Loved It!! I listened to it over and over again.

Deeply moving! Funny! Bold! Enthralling! The best book ever, my new person favorite!! Love his voice!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Heady Audible magic, potent and rich

The voice of Jeremy Irons speaking the words of TS Eliot on this audiobook combine to remove heavy sorrow from your heart, raise your spirits and even your IQ, and open your heart. I take it everywhere in my iPhone and listen to the softest , deepest, sexiest , most knowing voice as it gives me the great poems.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Would it have been too difficult?

to use the names of the poems instead of Chapter 21, 26, 32, etc.? Really?

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4 people found this helpful