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Poetry Workshop

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Ruth Padel explores the pleasures of writing and reading poems

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Poetry Workshop: Series 2

Poetry Workshop: Series 2: Episode 4

Episode 4

Series 2

BBC Radio 4 - Poetry Workshop, Series 2, Episode 4Search BBC

Ruth Padel and the Shalom House Poets in Belfast dish out tough love on their poems.

Ruth Padel joins the Shalom House Poets in Belfast to workshop their poems in a spirit of supportive criticism. Tough love for poems.

The Shalom House Poets meet regularly in Belfast Central Library to dole out tough love on each other's poems. Ruth Padel joins them as they workshop their poems in a spirit of supportive criticism, going behind the scenes of a poem to find out which techniques work and which don't. 
Ruth and the group work on three very different poems on the theme of 'windows'. One of them is an intricate observation of a sculpture in Salzburg, another is an enigmatic reflection on shadows, and there's a nostalgic and powerful recollection of a living room in Belfast. 
The technical focus this week will be on inspiration and description .The group discuss the techniques, inspiration, wordplay and imagination that make poetry so enjoyable and rewarding. As well as working on their own poems, they also consider a very well know one by Louis MacNeice; 'Snow'. 
Producer: Sarah Langan.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Ruth Padel presents a landmark series exploring the pleasures of writing and reading poems

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