To celebrate National Poetry Day 2014, the theme of which is ‘Remember’, the Poetry Centre asked Oxford Brookes staff and students to tell us about their favourite poem. Of those volunteers, five participants were videoed, whilst five others were selected to contribute a written response to their poem and why it is important to them. You can watch and read these reflections below. We hope it will inspire you to rediscover your own most memorable poem and share it with others on National Poetry Day!
The Poetry Centre has also been running two other projects to coincide with National Poetry Day: a well-being and mental health poetry competition, and a series of pop-up poetry events all around Oxford and the Oxford Brookes campuses. The Centre will be active through social media in promoting and documenting these, and you can follow us via Twitter and Facebook.
- Wallace Stevens, Anecdote of the Jar read by Professor Janet Beer, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University
- Arthur Rimbaud, Sensation read by Edward Bressan, Academic Director of English Language Pathways Programme, Oxford Brookes International
- Robert Desnos, I've Dreamt of You So Often / J’ai tant rêvé de toi read by Amanda Edwards-Day, MA Creative Writing, Oxford Brookes University
- Edward Thomas, Sedge-Warblers read by Dr Andrew Lack, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Biology, Oxford Brookes University
- Spike Milligan, Have a Nice Day read by Phoebe Hitt, recent graduate in BA (Hons) Drama and English, Oxford Brookes University
Further responses to memorable poems
- Edith Joy Scovell, Deaths of Flowers introduced by Helen Newdick, MA Creative Writing, Oxford Brookes University
- Billy Collins, Carpe Diem introduced by Richard Haill, Lecturer in English for Academic Purposes, International Centre, Oxford Brookes University
- Thich Nhat Hanh, Please Call Me By My True Names introduced by Kate Rowley, Ecumenical Chaplain, Oxford Brookes University
- Adrienne Rich, Song introduced by Liz Robertson, Careers Consultant, Careers Service, Oxford Brookes University
- Bernard Spencer, On the Road introduced by James Taylor, undergraduate student in English and History, Oxford Brookes University
- A. E. Housman, The Oracles introduced by Dr Caroline Jackson-Houlston, Senior Lecturer in English, School of English and Modern Languages, Oxford Brookes University