Silkin on Silkin, and Silkin on Owen
Details
Type of record: Archive
Title: Silkin on Silkin, and Silkin on Owen
Classmark: BC MS 20c Silkin/9/2
Creator(s): Mitchell, Adrian (1932-2008)
Date(s): 1992-2003
Size and medium: 1 S180 VHS video tape. Colour. Duration: 138.19 minutes
Persistent link: https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/20713
Collection group(s): Leeds Poetry | English Literature
Description
Video recording of 2 readings/talks by Jon Silkin.The first recording is titled 'Silkin on Silkin: Jon Silkin talks about his life and reads a selection of his poems', and was recorded by Adrian Mitchell in Sheffield in 1992. Silkin discusses his experience of evacuation during the Second World War, serving in the Army, working as a labourer; reads 'Urban Grasses'; discusses animals in 'The Peaceable Kingdom'; reads 'Carved'; discusses his son Adam and his death; reads 'Death of a Son'; discusses work, teaching English, getting the Gregory Fellowship in Poetry, history of Jews in York; reads 'The Coldness'; discusses the 'Flower Poems'; reads 'Harebell'; discusses his degree, moving to and living in Newcastle; reads 'The Achievers'; discusses hi father's death; reads 'Honouring the Father'; refers to time spent in Washington DC in 1989; reads 'Four Related Poems'. Duration: 60.38 minutes.The second reading is titled 'Silkin on Owen', and was recorded on 9 June 1994 by Adrian Mitchell at an
event in which Silkin reads and discusses the work of Wilfred Owen. Silkin discusses studying under G. Wilson Knight at Leeds, the idea of the war poets as 'dramatis personae', Siegfried Sassoon's influence on Wilfred Owen; reads Sassoon's statement of defiance/protest against the War; discusses Sassoon's statement and the 'two nations' idea (soldiers and civilians); reads the 'earlier' version of 'The Dead-Beat'; discusses the them of the psychic wound in Owen's poetry; discusses and reads 'Futility'; discusses the original mss of Owen's poems and the importance of going back to them when editing/publishing his work, early mss of 'Dulce et Decorum Est' and dedication to Jessie Pope; reads 'Dulce et Decorum Est'; discusses the expression of anger in Owen's poetry (and Sassoon's influence), imagery in 'Dulce et Decorum Est' including burning, the function of the poem and it's 'universal address', the language of the poem (also refers to the Chatto/Stallworthy dispute relating to Silkin's
edition of Owen's poems); reference to Keats on imagination and truth; reference to Whitman's 'Song of Myself', and Owen as witness; reads 'Exposure'; discusses themes in 'Exposure' including nature and nature's hostility, God and humanity; discusses 'Strange Meeting' - comments on the combination of passion and anger in Owen, influences and background to 'Strange Meeting' (including reference to Shelley's 'The Revolt of Islam'); reads 'Strange Meeting'; discusses the ingredient of argument in 'Strange Meeting', use of language, humour in 'Strange Meeting' (imagery - reference to humour and the Bible), and the imagery of life and death; reads and discusses Owen's Preface to his poems.The video is accompanied by an ms letter of deposit from Rodney Pybus to Chris Sheppard (Brotherton Library), dated 24 November 2003.
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Access to this material is unrestricted.
The words and poems of Jon Silkin are copyright: the Literary Estate of Jon Silkin. Images are copyright: Adrian Mitchell. These recordings may be used only for the private study of individuals. They may not be copied, hired, distributed or shown in public. Copyright 2002.
The words and poems of Jon Silkin: Copyright: the Literary Estate of Jon Silkin. Images: Copyright: Adrian Mitchell