THE VOICE OF THE POET Robert Frost

The experience of listening to a poet read his own work is like no other. The visceral connection between poet and poems is keenly felt, and with a poet like Frost, who reads his own work well, the listener is offered a chance to glean meaning and emphasis possibly missed on a page. Robert Frost's voice is deep and resonant, reflecting age, but also the purposeful choice of words. His rural themes carry the rhythms of Yankee speech, which in his voice accentuate the loneliness and winter bleakness. Hearing Frost's work aloud is not the same experience as silent reading of a page. Editor J.D. McClatchy's excellent notes and accompanying booklet of the poems' text are valuable editions. The option to select the poems from the CD tracks is especially useful. R.F.W.
(c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 04]