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Poetry from M.I.T.; John Ciardi

Part of From the Vault. Part of Nine Poets Walk Into An Institute of Technology.

10/03/1963

In this recording, one of several poetry readings and talks from M.I.T. that aired on WGBH in 1963, John Ciardi offers a number of extemporaneous reflections on the art of children's poetry, reading a handful of original poems geared to children from his recently published collections I Met a Man (1961) and You Read to Me, I'll Read to You (1962) before proceeding to further reflections and selections from his more general work as a poet. Describing the composition of poetry as a form of "intelligence by indirection,” Ciardi offers a critique of the educational system, discusses the revision and publication processes, and offers observations on the four major preoccupations of the poet: diction, form, metaphor, and rhythm. In the course of his remarks, Ciardi reads his children's poems “I Met a Man Who Was Trying to Whittle,” “When I Went to Get a Drink,” “About the Teeth of Sharks,” and “The Cat Heard The Cat Bird,” before turning to three original poems geared to a larger readership: "The Dolls," "An Island Galaxy," and "Goodnight." Summary and select metadata for this record was submitted by Jim Cocola.


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Series
Poetry from M.I.T.
Program
John Ciardi
Series Description

Radio series. Series release date: 1963

Program Description

Radio

Duration

00:53:05

Asset Type

Broadcast program

Media Type

Audio

Subjects
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ciardi, John, 1916-1986
Poetry
Artistic Influences
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Poetry readings (Sound recordings)
Art and Science
Locations
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Genres
Event Coverage
Performance for a Live Audience
Topics
Literature
Contributors
Ciardi, John, 1916-1986 (Speaker)
Publication Information
Posted with permission provided by the Ciardi Publishing Trust
Citation
Chicago: “Poetry from M.I.T.; John Ciardi,” 10/03/1963, GBH Archives, accessed March 29, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/A_C22D37F429314055824F893DCBA3268C.
MLA: “Poetry from M.I.T.; John Ciardi.” 10/03/1963. GBH Archives. Web. March 29, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/A_C22D37F429314055824F893DCBA3268C>.
APA: Poetry from M.I.T.; John Ciardi. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/A_C22D37F429314055824F893DCBA3268C
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