Send us a textStewart Wade Margolis joins me for another conversation about poetry and his work as a diretor. This time we discussed the poem by William Blake "The Garden of Love," as well as his short vignettes about dating as a gay man in Coffee House Chronicles.We had a great conversation about sexual repression in our society as well as the similarities and differences of dating and sexual taboos in modern culture.Here is the poem by Blake:The Garden of LoveBY WILLIAM BLAKEI went to the Garden of Love,And saw what I never had seen:A Chapel was built in the midst,Where I used to play on the green.And the gates of this Chapel were shut,And Thou shalt not. writ over the door;So I turn'd to the Garden of Love,That so many sweet flowers bore. And I saw it was filled with graves,And tomb-stones where flowers should be:And Priests in black gowns, were walking their rounds,And binding with briars, my joys & desires.

Send us a textGet ready for some difficult to read poetic moments. Here we will deal with racism and slavery. In this poem by Blake, from The Songs of Innocence, he expresses in beautiful verse a story that a mother tells to her young child about why they are black slaves living in England during the mid 18th century.If you have followed along with my readings of Blake you will know that this is only the surface level. It is the "innocent" reading. The experienced reading will metaphorically, shake your world.Do not miss this one.

Send us a textThis is an audio version of the video you can find at troubadourmag.com or on Facebook or Youtube:In this video I discuss Yaron Brook's review of The Irishman by Martin Scorsese. While there are several point of agreement I have with Yaron's assessment, I believe he fundamentally misses the point of the movie. Moreover, I believe he wrongly applies Ayn Rand's conception of esthetics to Scorsese's movie.Here I will defend The Irishman as great art, whether or not you subjectively like the movie. It is my understanding that Yaron hated the fim (totally understandable) but that he allowed this to cloud his judgment of assessing the film is improper.I hope you will enjoy a dissectioon of several scenes as well as a discussion of the gangster genre, Martin Scorse's filmography, the art of acting (and what we can judge of it) and much much more.This was a fun one to create and as I say in the video it comes from a place of love, as so much of Yaron's work has been an inspiration to me.

Explore the innocence and complexity of William Blake's 'The Lamb', delving into the symbolism of the lamb in relation to sacrificial figures like Jesus. Dive into the contrast between innocence and experience within the human soul, analyzing Blake's critique of dogmatic religion and the changing dynamics between science and religion during his era.

Delve into William Blake's poem 'The Echoing Green' from a child's perspective and an adult's view, exploring innocence and experience. The podcast analyzes themes of childhood joy, maturity, mortality, and societal constraints. It also highlights the dark imagery and gothic horror elements in Blake's work.

Exploring the eccentricity and revolutionary views of William Blake, his embrace of imagination over reason, and the portrayal of innocence and experience in his poetry. Delving into the themes of childhood, the contrast between live experience and writing, and the enchantment found in his work.

Send us a textThis episode was recording during the holidays 2019. The Holidays are a time of reflections on your past as you prepare for New Years Eve resolutions for your future.Can recollecting your past be done improperly? Is it an infallible process? If it is not infallible, what should we do about it? These are some of the themes we will see in Tintern Abbey by Wordsworth.The full title of this poem is Lines Composed a Few Miles above TinternAbbey, On Revisiting the Banks of the Wyeduring a Tour. July 13, 1798.In this episode I explore the final poem of the 1798 Lyrical Ballads, Tintern Abbey. Here we get the first poem that shows the Giant Wordsworth. The former poems in Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth were great explorations of his poetic abilities, but in Tintern Abbey we get the full philosophical, psychological, autobiographical and poetic mastery that is Wordsworth.For my full notes and breakdown go to troubadourmag.com

Send us a textThis is one of Wordsworth's most far-reaching poems. It takes place in a land he never set foot on: America.Based on stories he read about traveling tribes of American Indians, he wrote this harrowing tale about a woman who is too sick to continue walking with her tribe, so they abandon her.

Send us a textIn the Oxford Book of English Verse, edited by Christopher Ricks, there are 9 William Wordsworth poems. Old Man Travelling, animal tranquility and decay was selected twice.Like many of Wordsworth's best poems, this one power is so subtle it is easy to miss it. However, it is poetry and art par excellence. Since the poem is so short I do not wish to spoil the exhilerating emotional revelation that occurs in a renewed investigation into this poem, so I will merely say that the experience this poem will give you will make you a better person. (Please note that I do not say "may" make you a better person.)

Send us a textIn November, 2019 the state of Oklahoma released almost 500 "non-violent" criminals in the largest commutation in US history. This brought up many issues regarding the justice system and the court system. But it also brings up a critical issue about the role and goals of the penal system. Can convicts be reformed? If it is possible then what is in our best interest to support? If a convict CAN be reformed, then should not not attempt to help them do so? And at the very least, should we not get in the way of possible reform?These are some important questions, among many others,that WIlliam Wordsworth asked in this poem.It was so controversial, in fact, that he removed it from all subsequent publication.