The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill: The Grateful Dead
Today, Erika Kyba reads an excerpt from Robert W. Service's "The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill," a poet's take on the Grateful Dead archetype.
Aug 15, 2025•5 min•Ep. 52
The Poetry Fix
Erika Kyba
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Episodes
Aunt Helen: A Damning Silence
Today, Erika Kyba reads T. S. Eliot's "Aunt Helen," a dark meditation on the futility of earthly affairs, and the danger of leaving behind an empty legacy.
Aug 08, 2025•4 min•Ep. 51
Holy Sonnet X: Death be not Proud
Today, Erika Kyba reads John Donne's glorious vaunt against death itself: Holy Sonnet X.
Jun 27, 2025•5 min•Ep. 50
At a Solemn Music: Milton vs the Puritans
Today, Erika Kyba reads John Milton's "At a Solemn Music," which subtly engages with Puritan arguments portraying music as evil. Instead, Milton extols song as something that has the power to sanctify.
Jun 20, 2025•5 min•Ep. 49
Down by the Salley Gardens: The One that Got Away
Today, Erika Kyba reads W. B. Yeats's "Down by the Salley Gardens," a wistful meditation on lost love and innocence.
Jun 13, 2025•5 min•Ep. 48
The Good-Morrow: Love so Alike
Today, Erika Kyba reads John Donne's "The Good-Morrow," which meditates on the unity of lovers, as well as the virtues needed for romantic love to endure.
Jun 06, 2025•4 min•Ep. 47
An Inner Happiness is Absolutely of my World: A Door to the Soul
Today, Erika Kyba reads Salvador Espriu's "An Inner Happiness is Absolutely of my World," a self-reflective meditation on poetry as a door to the soul of the poet.
May 30, 2025•5 min•Ep. 46
Holy Sonnet XII: A Greater Wonder
Today, Erika Kyba reads John Donne's Holy Sonnet XII, which offers a frame for looking at nature with new eyes.
May 23, 2025•5 min•Ep. 45
Ode to the West Wind: Beyond the Grave
Today, Erika Kyba reads the conclusion of Percy Shelley's Ode to the West Wind. We see the poet recognize his mortality and surrender himself and his work to the autumnal spirit. However, he hopes that the wind's destruction will ultimately bring renewal.
May 16, 2025•4 min•Ep. 44
Ode to the West Wind: Destruction and Renewal
Today, Erika Kyba reads an excerpt from Percy Shelley's Ode to the West Wind, which celebrates the destructive spirit of the West Wind as a harbinger of renewal.
May 09, 2025•4 min•Ep. 43
Holy Sonnet IX: A Heavenly, Lethean Flood
Today, Erika Kyba reads John Donne's Holy Sonnet IX, in which the poet wrestles with the themes of sin, guilt, and forgiveness.
May 02, 2025•5 min•Ep. 42
Love (III): When Love Bids You Welcome
Today, Erika Kyba reads Love (III), the conclusion of George Herbert's Love series. This poem portrays the beautiful way in which Love crosses over the boundaries of guilt and sin to reach the human soul.
Apr 25, 2025•5 min•Ep. 41
The Sacrifice: "Was Ever Grief Like Mine?"
Today, Erika Kyba reads an excerpt from George Herbert's The Sacrifice, a beautiful meditation on the Passion.
Apr 14, 2025•5 min•Ep. 40
Love (II): Such True Desires
Today, Erika Kyba reads George Herbert's Love (II), in which the poet turns to correct the problems of disordered love that he raised in Love (I).
Apr 11, 2025•5 min•Ep. 39
Love (I): Thou Standing By
Today, Erika Kyba reads George Herbert's Love (I). Join her to unpack his beautiful ode to a forgotten Creator.
Apr 04, 2025•5 min•Ep. 38
Little Brother: The Wrath to Come
Today, Erika Kyba reads Robert W. Service's darkly enthralling "Little Brother." Together, we explore the truth of the poet's bleak vision, as well as looking for avenues of hope.
Mar 28, 2025•5 min•Ep. 37
The Hollow Men: This is the Dead Land
Today, Erika Kyba reads the conclusion of T. S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men." Eliot continues to paint a picture of the dark, deathly kingdom that the hollow men find themselves in, entrenched in the shadow of World War I.
Mar 21, 2025•4 min•Ep. 36
Beggar to Beggar Cried: Driven by the Itch
Today, we explore "Beggar to Beggar Cried," by the Irish poet, William Butler Yeats. This is a poem about the desire for peace and security, juxtaposed with a restlessness of spirit.
Mar 07, 2025•4 min•Ep. 35
The Hollow Men: When Life and Death Mean Nothing
Today, I am joined by Alexandra Comus to read an excerpt from "The Hollow Men," by T. S. Eliot. This is a poem that warns about the consequences of living without meaning, as the shadow of death continually hangs over the world.
Feb 28, 2025•4 min•Ep. 34
The Nativity Ode: When Wisest Fate Says No
Today, we continue exploring Milton's "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity." In this excerpt, we see that the joy of the Nativity sparks a longing and a hope for an Edenic golden age. However, the poet reminds us that all things must be harrowed before they can be remade.
Feb 21, 2025•5 min•Ep. 33
The Nativity Ode: Such Music Sweet
Today, we continue exploring Milton's "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity." In this excerpt, we witness Creation move from hushed awe to jubilant songs of praise.
Feb 14, 2025•5 min•Ep. 32
The Nativity Ode: With Wonder Whist
Today, we continue exploring Milton's "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity." In this excerpt, Milton meditates on the cosmic awe that the Christ child's surpassing power inspires.
Feb 07, 2025•4 min•Ep. 31
The Nativity Ode: When Light Comes to Darkness
Today, we explore Milton's "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity," which ponders the cosmic effects of Christ's coming into the world.
Jan 31, 2025•5 min•Ep. 30
The Windhover: A Christological Kestrel
Today, we explore Hopkins's "The Windhover," a meditation on the flight of a kestrel. Hopkins opens our eyes to the wonder of a natural world that is richly layered with meaning.
Jan 24, 2025•4 min•Ep. 29
The World is Too Much With Us: Bethink Your Creed
"Creed" is a concept that's often neglected in our day and age, as many nonreligious thinkers consider the idea of creed archaic or limiting. However, everyone has one; your creed is the set of principles that governs your life, whether you recognize it or not. Wordsworth's "The World is Too Much With Us" indicts his generation's creed of materialism, which drives them to pursue gain and forget their origin: Nature.
Jan 17, 2025•5 min•Ep. 28
Guigemar: The Confession
This final installment of Guigemar that we will read portrays Guigemar and his lady as they finally come to terms with their love for one another, and as Guigemar is sped on to declare his love for her.
Dec 06, 2024•5 min•Ep. 27
Guigemar: Cupid's Ambush
In this installment of Guigemar, the incandescent, fierce flame of desire begins to consume Guigemar and his lady.
Nov 22, 2024•4 min•Ep. 26
Guigemar: The Hospitality
This installment of Guigemar portrays the lady's reply to the wounded knight and illuminates aspects of her character, such as her hospitality and virtue. However, the lady is not without her discontents, as she reveals to Guigemar.
Nov 15, 2024•5 min•Ep. 25
Guigemar: The Encounter
This installment of Guigemar portrays the first encounter between Guigemar and the imprisoned young lady. The poet brings some interesting elements to the forefront in their encounter, including the focus on his heartbeat and his dependence on the lady's hospitality.
Nov 08, 2024•5 min•Ep. 24
Guigemar: The Caged Lady
This installment of Guigemar introduces some important new characters into the story. Most important of these is a young lady, imprisoned by her jealous and much older husband. A portrait of Venus hanging in the young lady's chamber contains some clues as to what the poet intends to do with her character.
Nov 01, 2024•5 min•Ep. 23
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