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The Ode Less Travelled

Unlocking the Poet Within

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About this listen

Stephen Fry believes that if you can speak and read English, you can write poetry. But it is no fun if you don't know where to start or have been led to believe that anything goes.

Stephen, who has long written poems, and indeed has written long poems, for his own private pleasure, invites you to discover the incomparable delights of metre, rhyme and verse forms.

Whether you want to write a Petrarchan sonnet for your lover's birthday, an epithalamion for your sister's wedding or a villanelle excoriating the government's housing policy, The Ode Less Travelled will give you the tools and the confidence to do so.

Brimful of enjoyable exercises, witty insights and simple step-by-step advice, The Ode Less Travelled guides the listener towards mastery and confidence in the Mother of the Arts.

©2005 Stephen Fry (P)2017 Random House AudioBooks Literary History & Criticism Words, Language & Grammar Writing & Publishing Witty Funny Feel-Good

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Brilliant for anyone trying to learn/develop poetry. I used this in my university studies in creative writing. Really helped.

Well Worth a Listen!

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As a teacher of poetry, I constantly read and look for books to help me communicate with my students and/or recommend books to help them develop their skills; this is one such book. This book has a super layout and sets a super foundation for further study. I would also argue it is a great book for seasoned writers to reflect and become inspired again.

Well structured, incredibly reflective

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Fantastic audio book! As someone that didn't do poetry at school (or at least, not that I remember) I've never understood poetry, and could never see the point in poetry that doesn't rhyme. Blank verse poetry (as I now know) just seemed like lazy poetry. I always thought I might be missing something though, so downloaded this book as I had a shiny new credit.

This book is great for people like me. It's a good introduction to poetry in general and specifics like meter, feet, iambic pentameter, blank verse, etc. It starts by assuming the listener knows nothing about poetry. Stephen Fry is brilliant as the reader. As he's also the author it's as though he's telling the jokes and opinions to you live, one-to-one, rather than reading from a book (he also has a great range of accents). Yes, there are lots of new technical words to learn, but it's a witty, funny and a very engaging listen that explains the subtle nuances of poetry and why they're important in a very accessible way.

Each chapter has an exercise (like in an old school text book), that gets you writing a short poem in whatever form/technique is being talked about. I ignored these the first time but have subsequently gone back and slowly done each one. I've even written a Sapphic Ode! :) I've now listened to this book quite a few times! :)

Finally, the foreword in this book is the BEST I've ever heard. Usually forewords are slightly dry and dull (and played at x2 speed by me) but this one is very funny and actually motivational!

Very engaging, witty and informative

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As a language trainer, Stephen Fry's English is excellent to listen to, for trainers and students alike.

Stephen does an excellent rendition of poetry as a subject and in practice, breaking down concepts and types of poetry for everyone to understand. Notable for me was ballad and its namesake counterpart in French, the examples of both enabling an easy grasp of the two poetry forms.

I loved listening to this audio book. Thank you, Stephen and a pox on the Audible app's review system for ignoring auto-punctuation on my Android keyboard.

Excellent Rendition, Memorable and Simple

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I bought the paperback as a text reference but I also bought the audible as I love listening to Stephen Fry. I'm sure I would if he read the 'phone directory (if they still exist), so who better to read his own words. This is an academic study of poetry presented by a lecturer with his expected wit and cheekiness. I have found it useful in reinvigorating my own writing and in providing checks, balances and a good work ethic. True, a lot past me by - I'm not an academic but a scribbler of ditties. I would think this would be a preferred reference tool for students of poetry. It was a good extension from the recordings of Fry's English Delight that I love.

An academic reference but also a damn good read

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obviously Stephen at his best. loved it. I'll best re-reading again after not too long

Top of Stephen Fry

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I absolutely loved this, I knew I would, It’s incredibly informative I felt like I was in a series of high quality lectures, and he adds humour into it, a thoroughly good purchase, highly recommend

Stephen Fry is Such a talent

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I could listen all day to Stephen Fry's beautiful voice reading just about anything, but this book about poetry is particularly special. I shall listen to it again I'm sure.

Wonderful Stephen Fry

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I listened to 3 hours of listening to Stephen Fry's lovely voice with full on enthusiasm over just the metre of poetry. if you are like me likes to go by how your poetry feels in your gut ,then listening to this very in-depth explanation of form, really isn't for you. I guess it's for some people just not for me, for me it feels like after doing to exercises I was working too hard just to get words to fit . Sorry Stephen free verse wins for me.

3 hours I will never get back

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I didn’t like how the author says you should not continue with the audiobook until you have done X, Y and Z, on more than one occasion. I listen to an audiobook for entertainment and information, not to be given instructions and told that if I don’t obey these instructions then I should not continue… I was also looking for something with more of a creative spark.

Didn’t like it

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