Phaedra and other Poems and Ballads


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

Phædra was the wife of Theseus, the King of Athens, but she developed a passion for her step-son Hippolytus. His rejection of her declaration of love leads to tragedy and death.

The Poems read here are from Swinburne's Poems and Ballads (First series) published in 1866. The poems were popular on publication but also controversial as Swinburne wrote about topics which were considered taboo at the time such as Lesbianism (or Sapphism), Sado-masochism and Anti-theism. Many of the poems have the common themes of love and death and there are several references to the Greek poet Sappho whose work Swinburne admired. - Summary by Alan Mapstone

Cast List for the Phædra play:
Phædra: laurakgibbs
Hippolytus: Alan Mapstone
Chorus of Trœzenian Women: ShrimpPhish
(2 hr 4 min)

Chapters

PHÆDRA 14:13 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
A Ballad of Life 6:07 Read by Alan Mapstone
A Ballad of Death 8:45 Read by Alan Mapstone
A Leave-Taking 3:21 Read by Bruce Kachuk
Rondel 1:26 Read by Barty Begley
Satia te Sanguine 4:26 Read by Alan Mapstone
Anima Anceps 1:48 Read by Algy Pug
In the Orchard 4:07 Read by Larry Wilson
A Match 2:07 Read by Arnav Darnal
A Cameo 1:15 Read by David Lawrence
Song before Death 1:13 Read by Douglas Wood
Stage Love 1:46 Read by Bruce Kachuk
Rondel 1:05 Read by David Lawrence
Before the Mirror 3:01 Read by dc
Erotion 3:12 Read by dc
In Memory of Walter Savage Landor 2:18 Read by dc
A Song in Time of Order, 1852 3:30 Read by Bruce Kachuk
A Song in Time of Revolution, 1860 5:26 Read by Alan Mapstone
Before Dawn 3:24 Read by Larry Wilson
The Garden of Proserpine 5:36 Read by Alan Mapstone
Love at Sea 1:36 Read by ShrimpPhish
April 3:03 Read by Adrian Stephens
Before Parting 2:27 Read by Adrian Stephens
The Sundew 2:37 Read by Adrian Stephens
An Interlude 2:52 Read by Adrian Stephens
Hendecasyllabics 2:28 Read by Adrian Stephens
Sapphics 5:58 Read by Alan Mapstone
August 2:58 Read by ShrimpPhish
A Christmas Carol 3:03 Read by Larry Wilson
Love and Sleep 1:05 Read by Arnav Darnal
Madonna Mia 3:03 Read by Larry Wilson
The King's Daughter 3:01 Read by ShrimpPhish
After Death 2:26 Read by Douglas Wood
May Janet 2:45 Read by Alan Mapstone
The Sea-Swallows 3:36 Read by Dave Silva
The Year of Love 3:07 Read by Alan Mapstone