Making Love to Marilyn | Come Up and See Me Sometime
Sonnet 117
The second of five programmes of love and erotic poetry, which take in the many moods of the sensual, raunchy, sometimes ludicrous world of sex. This episode includes Invitation by Grace Nichols read by the poet, Down Wanton Down by Robert Graves read by Barrie Rutter, Desire's a desire by Selima Hill read by Adjoa Andoh, Sonnet 117 by William Shakespeare read by Juliet Stevenson, Sonnet 129 by William Shakespeare read by Ian McKellen, Strugnell's sonnets (extract) by Wendy Cope read by Barrie Rutter, A well-wisher (extract) by Gavin Ewart read by the poet, The ram by Selima Hill read by Pippa Hinchley, We two boys by Walt Whitman and read by Ian McKellen and What the pool said by Liz Lochhead and read by the poet.
TweetDesert Island Discs | Sir Leon Brittan
Britain's EC Trade Commissioner and former Conservative Home Secretary talks to Sue Lawley about his life and career, and chooses his favourite music. His choices include Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, the commentary on England winning the Ashes in 1953, `When I was a Lad' from HMS Pinafore, his wife reading Shakespeare's Sonnet No 16, 'Eternal Father Strong To Save', Don Carlos by Verdi, Dvorak's Cello Concerto, and Mozart's 'Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail'.
Adventures in Poetry | Shakespeare's Sonnet
Richard Wilson explores some of the hidden meanings and resonances of Shakespeare's famous and much loved sonnet, and asks: 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?' Produced by Sara Davies.