Thursday is National Poetry Day, prompting a poetry-packed programme opening with a commission from the Poetry Takeaway. Former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion enthuses about the opportunity to convert people who are scared of poetry. They discuss how poems connect sense and nonsense, how a verse's meaning changes over time and the perils of writer's block. Andrew talks about the National Poetry Archive, which records poets reading their own work. He remembers his mentors WH Auden and Philip Larkin, and how meeting his heroes helped him as a young artist. Plus: how do poetry and lyrics differ? And how important is it to hear every word to understand a poem or song? Featuring readings by Alfred Lord Tennyson, John Betjeman, Michael Horovitz, The Waterboys, WH Auden, Charles Causley, Roger McGough and Emily Dickinson. On This Day in 1959, the Twilight Zone first aired. Birthdays: Phil Oakey, Damon Gough and Leroy Shield.
The Doors - Indian Summer
Jarvis reads The Poetry Takeaway's 'Night Shift'
Johnny Tillotson - Poetry in Motion
Bob Dylan - In Search of Little Sadie
The Human League - Morale... You've Lost That Loving Feeling
The Police - Walking on the Moon
The Durutti Column - For Belgian Friends
The Poets - Baby, Don't You Do It
Alfred Lord Tennyson reads 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' (rare recording from The British Library)
Sir John Betjeman and Jim Parker - A Russell Flint
Michael Horovitz reads an excerpt from 'A New Wasteland'
WH Auden reads an excerpt from 'In Memory of WB Yeats'
The Waterboys - Before the World Was Made
Terry Durham - Stills from a Late Night Movie
Charles Causley reads 'Eden Rock'
Simon and Garfunkel - The Dangling Conversation
Badly Drawn Boy - Riding with Gabriel Greenburg
Tom Fazzini - Stats
Roger McGough reads 'Crazy Bastard'
Ólöf Arnalds - With Tomorrow / I'm On Fire
Vangelis - L'Apocalypse des Animaux (Main Theme)
Josephine Foster - I See Thee Better in the Dark (words by Emily Dickinson)
The Kinks - Days
Jarvis reads The Poetry Takeaway's 'Night Shift'
Johnny Tillotson - Poetry in Motion
Bob Dylan - In Search of Little Sadie
The Human League - Morale... You've Lost That Loving Feeling
The Police - Walking on the Moon
The Durutti Column - For Belgian Friends
The Poets - Baby, Don't You Do It
Alfred Lord Tennyson reads 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' (rare recording from The British Library)
Sir John Betjeman and Jim Parker - A Russell Flint
Michael Horovitz reads an excerpt from 'A New Wasteland'
WH Auden reads an excerpt from 'In Memory of WB Yeats'
The Waterboys - Before the World Was Made
Terry Durham - Stills from a Late Night Movie
Charles Causley reads 'Eden Rock'
Simon and Garfunkel - The Dangling Conversation
Badly Drawn Boy - Riding with Gabriel Greenburg
Tom Fazzini - Stats
Roger McGough reads 'Crazy Bastard'
Ólöf Arnalds - With Tomorrow / I'm On Fire
Vangelis - L'Apocalypse des Animaux (Main Theme)
Josephine Foster - I See Thee Better in the Dark (words by Emily Dickinson)
The Kinks - Days
