[Lecture One] Poems I Like—and Why
by Dr. Leonard Peikoff
Total Time: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Course summary: In this two-lecture series, Dr. Leonard Peikoff discusses the value of poetry as an esthetic enhancement to one’s life. He uses examples from some of his favorite poetry—read aloud in the lecture—to demonstrate how to analyze and understand great poems. Peikoff also discusses the nature of poetry and provides a definition. Read more »
In this lecture: Dr. Peikoff uses this lecture to introduce the subject of poetry, to make a case for including it in one’s life, and to read, analyze, and discuss some of his favorite poems.
Q&A Guide
Below is a list of questions from the audience taken from this lecture, along with (approximate) time stamps.
| 1:13:19 | Why did Ayn Rand characterize Anthem as a poem? |
| 1:14:03 | You said you like Tennyson and I do too. Could you mention some of the other Tennyson poems you like? |
| 1:16:13 | Can you tell us anything about the book you’re working on? |
| 1:21:03 | Do you know the poem “Gunga Din” by Rudyard Kipling and do you like it? |
| 1:23:54 | I was wondering if you’d reconsider reading “Rizpah.” |
| 1:24:39 | Is this poem by Ogden Nash? “Fuzzy wuzzy was a bear…” |
| 1:25:31 | Would you compare and contrast the sense of satisfaction you experience when you read a good malevolent universe poem with a good benevolent universe poem? |