This poem was originally published in 1684 in Part 2 of the well-known allegorical novel that Bunyan wrote, The Pilgrim's Progress. The text was later modified and set to music in the early 1900s and sung as a hymn in churches. There are a few textual variations of the piece and it has also been known under several different titles including, "He Who Would Valiant Be" and "The Pilgrim". We have chosen to use the original text for this reading.

This beautiful, narrative poem was first published in 1849 in a volume titled "Poems", just a few years after James Thomas Fields became a partner in a Boston publishing firm. Several of Fields' works reference the sea which may have been due to the fact that his father was a sea captain, although he died when Fields was quite young. After James Thomas Fields' death in 1881 at the age of 63, two of Fields' contemporaries, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and John Greenleaf Whittier, wrote poems in his memory.

Before beginning to work full time on his literary interests, Robert Bridges worked for 8 years as a physician in several London hospitals. "London Snow" was written several years after he left the medical field and is a beautiful poem full of imagery which details how enchanting a fresh snowfall is for young and old alike. Bridges served as the Poet Laureate of England from 1913 until his death in 1930.

After working for many hours on a poem in 1922, Robert Frost stepped outside and was suddenly inspired to write "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening". He said later that he was able to complete the piece in just a few minutes. Published in 1923, it is a beautiful poem which depicts the wonder of watching the snow fall in winter and along with "The Road Not Taken" has become one of Frost's most well-known works.

The personification of nature that Dickinson employs in this poem is simply beautiful. As always, she uses a few words to articulate so much and does it so well. It's so easy to visualize in one's mind's eye the scene that she is describing. And then with the last few words, Dickinson brings home the true point of the piece with the comparison of nature to humanity.

The personification of nature that Dickinson employs in this poem is simply beautiful. As always, she uses a few words to articulate so much and does it so well. It's so easy to visualize in one's mind's eye the scene that she is describing. And then with the last few words, Dickinson brings home the true point of the piece with the comparison of nature to humanity. Click Here to Download this Program Program CreditsAnnouncer: Thomas LamarNarrator: Nicole RodriguesComposer: Kevin DuncanSound Design & Mixing: Andrew RiffenburghPhotography: Scott OgleProducer/Director: J.D. Sutter Sound effects credit: creative commons sfx contributor, Dominic Smith Analysis of "The Sky Is Low, The Clouds Are Mean" Entry on Wikipedia for Emily DickinsonBio of Dickinson on Poets.org Emily Dickinson Museum in Maryland Emily Dickinson, circa 1846 image credit: Amherst College Library; retrieved from poets.org "The Sky Is Low, The Clouds Are Mean" by Emily DickinsonThe sky is low, the clouds are mean, A travelling flake of snow Across a barn or through a rut Debates if it will go. A narrow wind complains all day How some one treated him; Nature, like us, is sometimes caught Without her diadem.

Written on Christmas Day in 1863 during the heat of the Civil War by American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "Christmas Bells" is perhaps more well-known in the form of the Christmas carol "I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day". Organist John Baptiste Calkin set the poem to music in 1872 and it has been since performed and recorded by dozens of artists.

Emily Dickinson was a master of saying much with a few words. In these few lines she paints a beautiful word picture of the amazing canvas of the skies. Some scholars contend that this poem is a reference to the American Civil War, and while that may be the case it still stands on its own as a beautiful piece even if taken literally.

Contrasting the sadness and beauty of the changing of seasons, Emily Brontë also leaves the reader with a sense of anticipation of the cooler weather in this short work. The vivid imagery she uses seems to leap from the page and make the piece come alive. The fifth of six children, Emily was a quite capable poet as evidenced by this beautiful depiction of autumn, but is more known for her novel, Wuthering Heights.

Written in May of 1915 by Canadian physician, Lt. Col. John McCrae, "In Flanders Fields" is one of the most recognizable poems about the First World War. It was first published in a London magazine about 7 months after being written. The poem is still well-loved in McCrae's native Canada and was even featured on a ten dollar note in 2001.