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BBC Radio 4 Extra

Poetry Extra

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Weekly opportunity for listeners to revisit the riches of the BBC radio poetry archive

A brand new poetry slot on Radio 4 Extra gives listeners a weekly opportunity to revisit the riches of the BBC radio poetry archive

Poetry Extra: Poetry and the Russian Soul 2

04/09/2016

Poetry and the Russian Soul 2

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Poetry Extra, Poetry and the Russian Soul 2

'Set the hearts of men on fire with your word.' Poetry and the Russian Soul.

'Set the hearts of men on fire with your word.' Poet in Residence Daljit Nagra introduces the final part of Poetry and the Russian Soul, presented by Martin Sixsmith. From 2008.

BBC Radio 4's Poet in Residence, Daljit Nagra revisits the BBC's radio poetry archive with Poetry and the Russian Soul. 

Continuing a short but epic adventure through the heart and soul of Russia's poetry. Martin Sixsmith explores the 'strange kind of love' , often fatal, that Russia's poets have had for their homeland. And asks can you understand Russia better through its verse?

Poetry is uniquely linked to Russian identity and nationhood. Effectively a creation of the18th century, it was vital in creating a natural language and form of expression as modern Russia forged a separate identity from the old world of the Slavonic church.

But more importantly, it carried far greater weight than the poetry of the West. From the days of the Czar to the fall of Communism, Russian poetry was charged with a powerful and often fatal responsibility to convey the essential truth of the nation. Russia, after all, is one of the few countries where writing poetry can amount to a death sentence.

Producer: Mark Burman
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2008.

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