Can we ever really value what we have in the moment? Will we always realise too late what we've lost? These are two of the key questions tackled by Northern Irish Poet Michael Longley's poem Laertes. A self confessed ''lapsed classicist'' Longley expertly retells the famous story of Odysseus reuniting with his father Laertes and in doing so explores the themes of loyalty, family, and memory. Using the classic myth Longley investigates not only his own past, but the troublesome one of his own country as well.

You can find a copy of the poem here: https://wfupress.wfu.edu/poem-of-the-week/poem-of-the-week-laertes-by-michael-longley/

The show notes for today's episode, with full references can be found here: https://wordsthatburnpodcast.com/

You can get in touch with me on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wordsthatburnpodcast/

The music in this weeks episode is An Ocean of Stars by Sid Acharya and is used with the creators permission. Enjoy his music here: https://sidacharyamusic.com/

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