The Rhymer's Club
William Butler Yeats
In 1890 W B Yeats and Ernest Rhys founded a poetry club. Based mainly at Fleet Street’s immortal ‘Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese’ pub with occasional appearances at the Domino room in the Café Royal poets gathered together to dine and drink.
Whilst it was based on a core of poets many others attended on an ad hoc basis including Oscar Wilde, Francis Thompson & Lord Alfred Douglas. The camaraderie, banter and poetry that played out in their dreams, ambitions and for many, their difficult lives led Yeats to call them ‘the tragic generation’.
As well as their enthusiastic social forays they printed two anthologies of verse. The first in 1892 and the second in 1894. For all the talent it could call upon the print runs were only in their hundreds.
Part of a poet’s obligation is to move the boundaries of society, to write what others shun. And whilst that is certainly the case with our group in terms of writing in one glaring respect they were very Victorian. The members of the club were only men.
Arthur Ransome sums up their existence as "... the Rhymer's Club used to meet, to drink from tankards, smoke clay pipes, and recite their own poetry".
Whilst their initial aims were food, drink, camaraderie and bragging, the reality is that their poetry gives us so much more.
Author - William Butler Yeats.
Narrator - Richard Mitchley.
Published Date - Tuesday, 31 January 2023.
Location:
United States
Networks:
William Butler Yeats
Richard Mitchley
The Copyright Group
English Audiobooks
Findaway Audiobooks
Description:
In 1890 W B Yeats and Ernest Rhys founded a poetry club. Based mainly at Fleet Street’s immortal ‘Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese’ pub with occasional appearances at the Domino room in the Café Royal poets gathered together to dine and drink. Whilst it was based on a core of poets many others attended on an ad hoc basis including Oscar Wilde, Francis Thompson & Lord Alfred Douglas. The camaraderie, banter and poetry that played out in their dreams, ambitions and for many, their difficult lives led Yeats to call them ‘the tragic generation’. As well as their enthusiastic social forays they printed two anthologies of verse. The first in 1892 and the second in 1894. For all the talent it could call upon the print runs were only in their hundreds. Part of a poet’s obligation is to move the boundaries of society, to write what others shun. And whilst that is certainly the case with our group in terms of writing in one glaring respect they were very Victorian. The members of the club were only men. Arthur Ransome sums up their existence as "... the Rhymer's Club used to meet, to drink from tankards, smoke clay pipes, and recite their own poetry". Whilst their initial aims were food, drink, camaraderie and bragging, the reality is that their poetry gives us so much more. Author - William Butler Yeats. Narrator - Richard Mitchley. Published Date - Tuesday, 31 January 2023.
Language:
English
Chapter 1
Duration:00:01:40
Chapter 2
Duration:00:01:02
Chapter 3
Duration:00:04:08
Chapter 4
Duration:00:07:43
Chapter 5
Duration:00:01:25
Chapter 6
Duration:00:02:00
Chapter 7
Duration:00:00:39
Chapter 8
Duration:00:01:37
Chapter 9
Duration:00:00:49
Chapter 10
Duration:00:02:16
Chapter 11
Duration:00:02:17
Chapter 12
Duration:00:12:11
Chapter 13
Duration:00:02:14
Chapter 14
Duration:00:00:46
Chapter 15
Duration:00:01:05
Chapter 16
Duration:00:01:37
Chapter 17
Duration:00:02:31
Chapter 18
Duration:00:01:14
Chapter 19
Duration:00:00:54
Chapter 20
Duration:00:00:49
Chapter 21
Duration:00:00:47
Chapter 22
Duration:00:01:24
Chapter 23
Duration:00:00:22
Chapter 24
Duration:00:01:19
Chapter 25
Duration:00:02:34
Chapter 26
Duration:00:00:42
Chapter 27
Duration:00:00:51
Chapter 28
Duration:00:00:35
Chapter 29
Duration:00:00:40
Chapter 30
Duration:00:01:52
Chapter 31
Duration:00:02:41
Chapter 32
Duration:00:02:00
Chapter 33
Duration:00:02:31
Chapter 34
Duration:00:01:51
Chapter 35
Duration:00:01:50
Chapter 36
Duration:00:02:28
Chapter 37
Duration:00:01:40
Chapter 38
Duration:00:00:43
Chapter 39
Duration:00:01:40
Chapter 40
Duration:00:01:54
Chapter 41
Duration:00:01:53
Chapter 42
Duration:00:00:55
Chapter 43
Duration:00:00:19
Chapter 44
Duration:00:01:41
Chapter 45
Duration:00:00:58