Vision, Voice, & Practice: The Pleasure of Close Reading

Thursday, April 23, 2009

The Pleasure of Close Reading

Chapter 5 of Eagleton's How to Read a Poem closely examines a series of verse excerpts in order to define and demonstrate concepts like the texture of a poem, its tone and pitch, and its ambiguous nature. In a recent column in Slate, Robert Pinsky does the same thing with poems by Edward Thomas and Gerard Manley Hopkins. You can read it here.

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Song-of-the-Day 2024

Victoria Williams, "Poetry"
Paul Simon, last movement from _Seven Psalms_
fun., "The Gambler"
Simon & Garfunkel, "Wednesday Morning, 3A.M."
Henry Jamison, “Reading Days”
Jerry Garcia, “Love Scene”
Nancy Adams, “Love”
Sleeping at Last, “Sight”
The Arcadian Wild, “Big Sky, MT
Jon Bellion, ft. Quincy Jones, "Mah's Joint"
Ninety Pound Wuss, "Perserverences"
Liam Greenlee, "Average Folks" (Intro)
The Longest Johns, “Oak and Ash and Thorn”
boygenius, “Voyager”
American Authors, “Before I Go”
Bruno Major, "A Strange Kind of Beautiful"
David Bowie, "Sound and Vision"
Ray Lamontagne, “All the Wild Horses”
Cosmic Boy, “Love (Feat. Fisher)”
Charles Leclerc & Sofiane Pamart, “The Dream Continues”
Kings of Convenience, “Cayman Islands”
Philip Shibata, “Seasons to Seasons”
Rob Cantor, “‘Shia LaBeouf’ Live”
Mikayla McVey, “On Naming”
Lilith Max, “Peasants Throne”
Hans Williams, “More than One Way Home"
Ilan Eshkeri, Andy Brown, and London Metropolitan Orchestra, "The Mouse"
Beetlebug, “embers”
Greentea Peng, “Stuck in the Middle"

Song-of-the-Day 2023

Johnny Cash, "Devil's Right Hand"
Andy Shauf, "Wendell Walker"
Luke Levenson, feat. Abbey Smith, “Smoke”
Yebba, “October Sky”
Hillsong, “Highs and Lows”
XXXTentacion, “what are you so afraid of"
Dionne Warwick, “Say a Little Prayer"
Etta James, “I’d Rather Go Blind”
Joe Hisaishi, “Path of the Wind”
Sammy Rae and the Friends, “The Living Room Floor"
Emile Mosseri, Han Ye-ri, "Rain Song"
Heribert Beissel, Bonn Classical Philharmonic, "The Nutcracker, Op.71:XVa, pas de deux, Intrada" [Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky]
Phonte & Eric Roberson, “Something"
Kendrick Lamar, "The Heart Part 5"
Blossom Dearie “The Shape of Things (Live)”
Hozier, “Swan Upon Leda”
Lianne La Havas, ”Starry Starry Night”
Sam Ock, "Can I Have the Day With You"
Everything But the Girl, "The Night I Heard Caruso Sing"
U2, "Jesus Christ"

Song-of-the-Day 2021

“I Have Considered the Lilies," Connie Converse
“Stay Alive,” José González
"The Ash Grove," Ian Bostridge, Julius Drake (Benjamin Britten)
“Speechless," Steven Curtis Chapman
“Hear my Train A-comin’,” Jimi Hendrix
“Five," Sleeping at Last
“Exit Music for a Film," Radiohead
“Ends of the Earth,” Lord Huron
“American Pie,” by Don McClean
“The Story” Conan Gray
"La Bamba," Los Lobos (Playing For Change | Song Around The World)
"Psalm 23 (I Am Not Alone)," People & Songs ft. Josh Sherman
"Roadrunner," The Modern Lovers
“Is He Worthy?,” Shane and Shane
“The Imperial March,” John Williams
“Al Taller Del Maestro," Alex Campos
“Trees and Flowers,” Strawberry Switchblade
“I Think I Love You,” Tenacious D
“Times are Hard for Dreamers,” Phillipa Soo
“Pure Imagination,” Gene Wilder
“El Condor Pasa,” Simon and Garfunkel
“The Musical,” Bears in Trees
'Pas de deux' from "The Nutcracker," Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
"Chasin' the Bird," Charlie Parker
"Iko Iko," the Dixie Cups

Song-of-the-Day 2020

Aurora, "Into the Unknown"
Ecclesia, "Higher Places"
Sleeping at Last, "I'll Keep You Safe"
Billy Joel, "Vienna"
Cavetown, "Telescope"
Better Oblivion Community Center, "Sleepwalkin'"
Frank Ocean, "Moon River"
Colony House, "Looking for Some Light"
Saint Seneca, "River"
Bethel Music, “This is What You Do” [Live]
Brother James, "I Had to Dig"
The Three Tenors, "Nessun Dorma"
The Books, "Thirty Incoming"
Joep Beving, "Hanging D"
Moses Sumney, "Make Out in My Car" (Sufjan Stevens version)
Black Trade, "The UnThanks"
Selah, "Oh Draw Me Lord"
Owl City, “Meteor Showers”
Vulfpeck, "Back Pocket" [Live]
The New Pornographers, "Joseph, Who Understood"
Beautiful Eulogy, "Vital Lens"
Toro y Moi, "Ordinary Pleasure"
Morten Lauridsen, "Les chansons des roses, 4: La rose complète"
Bon Iver, "Heavenly Father" [Live, acapella]
Elton John & Jack White, "Two Fingers of Whiskey"

Song-of-the-Day 2019

Blink-182, "I Miss You"
Ashley Brown, with Stephen Schwartz, "Spark of Creation"
The Shaggs, "My Pal Foot Foot"
Claude Debussy, "Reverie"
Cam, "Village"
Saint Motel, "For Elise"
Typhoon, "Rorschach"
Daniel Bedingfield, "Honest Questions"
Tyler, the Creator, "See You Again"
Relient K, "Look on Up"
J.J. Cale, "Magnolia"
UFO, "I'm a Loser"
The Accidentals, "Michigan and Again"
Cosmo Sheldrake, "Pliocene"
Lindsey Stirling, "The Phoenix"
Enemies, "itsallwaves"
The Lonely Island, "I'm So Humble"
George Blagden, "I'll Follow You into the Dark"
John Craigie, "Dissect the Bird"
Igor Stravinsky, "Firebird Suite"
Xiu Xiu, "Brian the Vampire"
Parcels, "Tieduprightnow"
John Cage, "Water Walk"
Rainbow Kitten Surprise, "Polite Company"
Josh Garrels, "Sailor's Waltz"
Stromae, "Tous Les Mêmes"
The Replacements, "Gimme Noise"
Jose Gonzalez & The String Theory, from "Live at the Royal Festival Hall"

Song-of-the-Day 2018

Sleeping at Last, "Atlas: Four"
Rob Cantor, "Shia LaBeouf"
Ben Howard, "A Boat to an Island on the Wall"
Vampire Weekend, "Diane Young"
Mitski, "A Burning Hill"
Kendrick Lamar, "XXX" (featuring U2)
Young and Sick, “Dreams"
James Blake, "Vincent"
Tank and the Bangas, "Boxes & Squares"
Damien Rice, "Delicate"
GoGo Penguin, “Initiate” / “Initiate (Stray Mix)”
Alan Watts, "(Aperture) Face the Facts"
Vance Joy, "Riptide"
Maurice Ravel, "La vallée des cloches"
Shia LaBeouf + Songify This, "JUST DO IT!!!"
Jeff Buckley, "What Will You Say"
Buena Vista Social Club, "Chan Chan"
Rhythm Akimbo, "Old Trope Academy"
Noah Gundersen, “Fear and Loathing”
Kesha, "Praying"
OK Go, "The Writing's on the Wall"
Penny and Sparrow, "Fantine"
Sleeping at Last, "Overture"

Song-of-the-Day 2017

John Prine, "The Bottomless Lake"
Victoria Williams, "On Time"
Esbjörn Hazelius, "Spelman"
Journey, "Ask the Lonely"
For the Foxes, "Easy Way"
Lindsey Stirling, “Crystallize”
Joe Hisaishi, "Journey to the West" [Princess Mononoke soundtrack]
University of Miami Chorale, “Psalm 117”
Circle Jerks, "Operation"
Bastille, "Flaws" (acoustic version)
Imaginary Future, "All My Love"
BØRNS, "The Emotion"
Johnny Cash, "Personal Jesus"
Chuck Berry, "You Can't Catch Me"
Dustin Kensrue, "Of Crows and Crowns"
Brian Eno, "The Big Ship"
Glee (Cast), "Flashdance (What a Feeling)"
Bon Iver, "Woods"
The Oh Hellos, "Hello My Old Heart"
Andy Grammer, "Lunatic"
Strahan, "Feel the Night"
My Brightest Diamond, "Dreaming Awake"
The Brilliance, "Oh Earth / Gravity of Love"
Propaganda, "Beautiful Pain"
The Books, "Tokyo"
Mountain Goats, "Blue Jays and Cardinals"
Morton Lauriden, "Les Chansons des Roses: 1. En Une Seule Fleur"
Kirk Franklin, "Riverside"

Song-of-the-Day Spring 2016

"Old Skin," Olafur Arnalds
"Have I Always Loved You?" Copeland
"God," Ragnar Kjartansson
"Id," Charlie Allen
"Lament for Hetch Hetchy," Alasdair Fraser
"Vltava" (translated, "The Moldau"), Bedřich Smetana
"The Sailor's Bonnet," The Gloaming
"Storm All Around You," Jon Thurlow
"Guns and Ships," Hamilton Soundtrack
"White Winter Hymnal," Fleet Foxes
"Jaime," ALERT312
"Kusanagi," Odesza
"Start a War," The National
"Backpack," Petite Meller
"Stressed Out," Twenty One Pilots
"Soon," Jill White
"The Ballad of Me and My Brain," The 1975
"Evelyn McHale", Parenthetical Girls
"Ophelia," Lumineers
"Rework," Philip Glass
"Circles," Thrice
"Arabesque No. 1," Claude Debussy
"Time," Jonatha Brooke
"J’y Suis Jamais Alle," and "Les Jours Tristes," Yann Tierson
"Katydid Prehistory," David Rothenberg
"Jaipur," Mountain Goats

Song-of-the-Day Spring 2015

Sigur Rós, "Hoppípolla"
Frank Ocean, "Forrest Gump"
Abraham Hernandez, "Jesucita En Chihuahua"
Jonathan Richman, "Ice Cream Man" [Live]
Leonard Cohen, "Come Healing"
Ben Howard, "Under the Same Sun"
2Cellos, "Thunderstruck"
Kacey Musgraves, "Follow Your Arrow"
Beach House, "Walk in the Park"
Colm Wilkinson, "Music of the Night"
Neo-Futurists, "Dialogue Play"
Debussy, "Clair de Lune" (as played on the piano by Natalie Crane)
Owen, "A Trenchant Critique"
Kerry Muzzey, "Bernini's Angels (The LXD Mix)"
Oneohtrix Point Never, "Commissions 1"
Justin Vernon & the Roots, "Perth"
Josh Garrels, "Ulysses"
Childish Gambino, w/ Jaden Smith, "Late Night in Kauai"
Sufjan Stevens, "Vesuvius"
Soko, "I'll Kill Her"
Two Steps from Hell, "El Dorado"
Arvo Pärt, "Fur Alina"
Kathleen Murray, "Renewal"
Laura Mvula, "That's Alright"
Less is More + The Queen & King, "Riptide"/"Cool Kids" mashup
Michael Jackson, "Smile"
Giant Sand, "The Beat Goes On"

Song-of-the-Day Spring 2014

"American Noise," Skillet
"Smells Like Content," The Books
"Older," TMBG
"Hero," Hans Zimmer & John Powell
"The Shrine / An Argument" & "The Plains / Bitter Dancer," Fleet Foxes
"That's Damn Rock & Roll," Eric Church
"Not the Same," Ben Folds
"Givin' Them What They Love," Janelle Monae (w/ Prince)
"Paradise," The PianoGuys, w/ Alex Boyle (Coldplay cover)
"Sandcastles," Kate Voegele
"Winter Song," The Head and the Heart
"Sabali," Amadou and Mariam
"Grinnin' in Your Face," Son House
"The Box," Johnny Flynn
"Soul of a Man," David Lindley
"Orchestrated Love Song," Burlap to Cashmere
"Accidental Racist," Brad Paisley
"Political World," Bob Dylan
"This is Not an Exit," Saves the Day
"Wayfaring Stranger," sung a cappella by student Stevi Daniels
"Bluejays and Cardinals," Mountain Goats
"Hopeless Wanderer," Mumford and Sons
"Renaissance," San Fermin
"Bottom of the River," Delta Rae
"A Little Bit of Everything," Dawes
"Run That Body Down," Paul Simon
"She," Laura Mvula
"I'll Dance Like David Danced," Salvador
"Transformer," Gnarls Barkley
"Hold On," Alabama Shakes

Song-of-the-Day Spring 2013

Leonard Cohen, "Going Home"
Billie Holiday, "Fine and Mellow"
Elton John, "Rocket Man"
Walk Off the Earth, "Red Hands"
Of Monsters and Men, “Dirty Paws”
Lullatone, “Matteru”
Iva Bittova and Pavel Fajt, "Morning Song"
Lindsey Stirling, "Moon Trance”
The Postal Service, “Brand New Colony”
mewithoutyou, “The Fox, the Crow, and the Cookie”
Wilco, "Jesus, etc."
Beirut, "Postcards from Italy"
Discovery, "I Want You Back"
Queen, "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Four Tet, "Skttrbrain" [re-mix of Radiohead's 'Scatterbrain']
Sufjan Stevens, "Movement IV: Traffic Shock"
Josh Ritter, "The Curse"
Horse Feathers, "Thistled Spring"
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, "Into My Arms"
Idiot Wind, "The Rhythm in the Noise"
Coheed & Cambria, "The Afterman"
James Blake, "Retrograde"
Leonard Bernstein, from West Side Story, "The Dance at the Gym"
Ingrid Michaelson, "The Chain"
Eddie Vedder, "Guarantee"
Nick Waterhouse, "Time's All Gone"
Fishbone, "Housework"

Song-of-the-Day, Spring 2012

Leonard Cohen, "Show Me the Place"

Dave Brubeck, "Take Five" (live)

Bon Iver, "Flume"

Thomas Newman, "The Letter That Never Came"

Flight of the Conchords, "Think About It"

Joanna Newsom, "Sawdust and Diamonds"

Abadawn, "Inward Alchemist"

Andrew Bird, "Yawny at the Apocalypse"

Gillian Welch, "Paper Wings"

Sergei Rachmaninoff, "Vespers (All-Night Vigil)," 5th Movement.

Arvo Part, "Spiegel im Spiegel"

Samestate, "Realign"

Guided by Voices, "I Am a Tree"

Rufus Wainwright, "Oh What a World"

The Beach Boys, "Our Prayer"

Koop, "Beyond the son"

Claude Debussy, "Suite Bergamasque, 3rd Movement, Claire de Lune"

Goat Rodeo Sessions, "Quarter Chicken Dark"

John Williams, "Air and Simple Gifts"

The Best Pessimist, "Walking with Happiness"
Joni Mitchell, "A Case of You"
The Irish Rovers, " Mountain Tay"
Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris, "This is to Mother You"
The Waterboys, "This is the Sea"
Sleater-Kinney, "Jumpers"
KMD, "Peach Fuzz"
Regina Spektor, "Real Love"
Peter Bradley Adams, "Los Angeles"
Broken Social Scene, "Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day)"

Song of the Day - Sp. 2011 Class

Bob Dylan, "Mr. Tambourine Man"
Oscar Brown, Jr., "But I Was Cool"
Victoria Williams, "Lights"
Buffalo Springfield, "Bluebird"
Jeff Buckley, "Je n'en connais pas la fin"
Mumford and Sons, "Awake My Soul"
Supertramp, "The Logical Song"
Owen Pallett, "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt"
Johnny Flynn, "The Water"
Stornoway, "Zorbing"
The Strokes, "The Ize of the World"
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, "The Letting Go"
The Avett Brothers, "The Perfect Space"
Bruce Springsteen, "Born in the U.S.A."
Carole King, "Jazz Man"
Sufjan Stevens, "Vesuvius"
Everything but the Girl, "The Night I Heard Caruso Sing"
Jethro Tull, "Thick as a Brick"
Animal Collective, "What Would I Want? Sky"
Blink 182, "All the Small Things"
Coyle & Sharpe, "Human Leech"
Tom Waits, "The Piano Has Been Drinking"
Adele, "Best for Last"
Vampire Weekend, "Horchata"
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, "Home"
The Police, "Every Breath You Take"
Ray Charles, "Oh What a Beautiful Morning"
Beach Boys, "Good Vibrations"

Song of the Day - Sp. 2009 Class

Patti Smith: "Dancing Barefoot"
Simon & Garfunkel: "A Poem on the Underground Wall"
Bright Eyes: "From a Balance Beam"
2pac: "That's Just the Way It Is"
Squeeze: "Is That Love?"
Belle and Sebastian: "A Century of Elvis"
Ben Harper: "I'll Rise"
Alphabeat: "Fascination"
Sufjan Stevens, remixed by Buck 65: "Blood Pt. 2"
Andrew Bird: "Imitosis"
John Mark McMillan: "Carbon Ribs"
Regina Spektor: "Consequence of Sounds"
Amy Kuney: "Bird's Eye View (Intro)"
The Sea and Cake: "Sound + Vision"
John Williams (from the Memoirs of a Geisha soundtrack): "Sayuri's Theme"
Jars of Clay: "The Gift of St. Cecilia"
The Books: "The Future, Wouldn't That Be Nice"
John Coltrane: "A Love Supreme, Pt. 4: Psalm"
Animal Collective: "Fireworks"
White Stripes: "Little Cream Soda"
Hot Chip: "And I Was a Boy from School"
Sufjan Stevens: "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is out to Get Us!"
Elliott Smith: "King's Crossing"
Van Morrison: "On Hyndford Street"