Rebecca's Reading Room

S5 E8: Celebrating Earth Day 2025 with Henry David Thoreau Each year on Earth Day, I read from Henry David Thoreau’s famous work, Walden. My copy of Walden was a gift from my father which allows me to celebrate Earth Day by remembering our “Walden” conversations from years past. Dad agreed with Thoreau’s insights on living within our world: the importance of simplicity, self-sufficiency, and a dee...

S5 E7: Celebrating National Poetry Month April 2025, Canada celebrates National Poetry Month with a heartfelt theme: family. This theme invites us to explore the intricate connections that define our lives, from the bonds with parents and siblings to the love shared with pets and soulmates. It encourages reflection on friendships that feel like family, even the nurturing of plants that bring life...

S5 E6: A Light Exists In Spring by Emily Elizabeth Dickinson A Light Exists In Spring by Emily Elizabeth Dickinson Spring brings a unique light that awakens the earth and enhances the vibrancy of colours. Greens have a vivid radiance that energizes the spring blooms. As the mist of the new season settles, I feel the gentleness of the serene atmosphere, which invites me to open my arms wide to embr...

S5 E5: Songs for the People by Frances Ellen Watkins Let me make the songs for the people,    Songs for the old and young; Songs to stir like a battle-cry    Wherever they are sung.   Not for the clashing of sabres,    For carnage nor for strife; But songs to thrill the hearts of men    With more abundant life.   Let me make the songs for the weary,    Amid life’s fever and fret, Till hearts shall...

S5 E4 ”Crossing the Bar” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson “Crossing the Bar” is a reflective poem written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It was first published in 1889, just a few years before the poet’s death. The theme of mortality and the journey from life to death are embedded in these poetic words. “Crossing the Bar” is an extended metaphor to liken death to traversing the “sandbar” that separates the riv...

S5 E3 Woods in Winter by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Reading poetry in the winter offers a unique comfort, as the cold, often bleak environment outside contrasts with the warmth and intimacy found in verse. The act of curling up with a collection of poems allows one to escape into a world of emotion and reflection, where the themes of solitude and introspection resonate deeply during the darker mon...

S5 E2 Surprised by Joy William Wordsworth Surprised by Joy’ is a heart-breaking poem written by William Wordsworth when recalling the grief of his daughter Catherine’s passing. The poem is written in the form of a sonnet, with the first eight lines describing his initial shock and disbelief, and the last six lines expressing his deep sorrow and regret. William Wordsworth experienced a great deal o...

S5 E1: Sea Fever by John Masefield Story-telling is the signature of humanity.  And the very best stories of all come from our poets. John Edward Masefield was a consummate story-teller.  Born in Ledbury in Herefordshire, England on June 1, 1878, he lost his parents at an early age and endured an unhappy education at the King’s School in Warwick. He escaped to the sea on board the HMS Conway for t...

S4 E14: Sarah’s Gift Christmas is a time of gift giving, a moment when we cherish the bonds we share with one another. The gifts that stay fresh in my memory are those that originate from the soul, infused with genuine love and consideration. It’s not always the material items that leave a lasting impression, but the thoughtful gestures that illuminate the true spirit of the season. Several Christ...

S4 E13: Up-Hill by Christina Rossetti - 1830-1894  As I walk along the winding path through a wooded area, I am reminded of Christina Rossetti’s contemplative poem “Up-Hill.” The tranquil surroundings mirror the metaphorical journey of life depicted in the poem. Christina Rossetti’s poem “Up-Hill” reflects on the journey of life using the metaphor of a traveler ascending a difficult road. The poem...

S4 E12: Simple Pleasures - Haiku from the Place Just Right by Elizabeth Gauffreau Simple Pleasures Haiku from the Place Just Right” In “Simple Pleasures Haiku from the Place Just Right,” Elizabeth Gauffreau curates a profound collection of 53 haiku, each accompanied by a photograph memory. With a focus on nature and the serene landscapes of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, Liz invites us to emba...

S4 E11: Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day By William Shakespeare Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date; Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm’d; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance or natur...

S4 E10: August Moonrise by Sara Teasdale I am on a leisurely walk in a North Vancouver nature park. I feel the tranquil embrace of August enticing me to pause, and breathe deeply under the canopy of trees. I take out a poem by Sara Teasdale that I have chosen to recite to the stillness around me – August Moonrise. Celebrating the coming of August with Sara Teasdale Welcome to a serene exploration...

S4 E9: Change on Change by Elizabeth Barrett Browing Welcome to Poetry in the Evening. We are connected to nature in ways that cannot be fully understood. Poetry allows us to explore the relationship with the world around us. “Change on Change’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a poem about lost love and change envisioned through the lens of changing seasons. Love flourished through spring and summ...

S4 E8: Three Girls by Hazel Hall Hazel Hall (1886 - 1924) was an American poet born in Saint Paul, Minnesota on February 7, 1886, and raised in Portland, Oregon. She is often described as the "Emily Dickinson of Oregon" due to her introspective and lyrical poetry, as well as her reclusive lifestyle. Hazel’s work often explored themes of nature, beauty, and the inner world of emotions. Her poetry r...

S4 E7: The Rabbit Hole - A Short Story by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene’s “The Rabbit Hole – A Short Story” offers an exciting retelling of the timeless classic, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll. In this reimagining, readers are taken on a journey through a fantastical realm, guided by Teagan’s distinctive narrative style and imaginative storytelling. “The...

S4 E6: “June” by Douglas Malloch Welcome to the month of June. What better way to celebrate than with poetry. I have chosen a poem by Douglas Malloch (May 5, 1877 – July 2, 1938)  which is dedicated to the month of June. The poem is entitled simply, “June.” June by Douglas Malloch I knew that you were coming, June, I knew that you were coming! Among the alders by the stream I heard a partridge dru...

S4 E5: Emily Carr "Baptism" from her autobiography “Growing Pains” Welcome to my Reading Room! Thank you for listening in. I am your host Rebecca Budd and I look forward to sharing this moment with you. Emily was a Canadian artist and writer inspired by the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Born in 1871, she was one of the first painters in Canada to adopt a Modernist and Post-Imp...

S4 E4: Happy Birthday Edna St. Vincent Millay As the afternoon sun of February heralds the approach of spring and the forthcoming summer, it is a fitting day to commemorate the birthday of Edna St. Vincent Millay. Born on February 22nd, 1892, Millay’s enduring legacy as an American poet and champion of feminism continues to inspire and resonate with readers around the world. Her contributions to l...

S4 E3 After the Winter Rain by Ina Coolbrith After the Winter Rain by Ina Coolbrith After the winter rain,   Sing, robin! Sing, swallow! Grasses are in the lane,   Buds and flowers will follow. Woods shall ring, blithe and gay,   With bird-trill and twitter, Though the skies weep to-day,   And the winds are bitter. Though deep call unto deep   As calls the thunder, And white the billows leap   The...

S4 E2 Celebrating Robert Burns with The Address to a Haggis Robert Burns is one of the most important figures in Scottish culture and history. Every year, Scots and people around the world come together to celebrate the life and works of the beloved poet. There are many reasons why we should celebrate Robert Burns and his contributions to Scotland. Robert Burns's famous poem "Address to a...

S4 E1: Welcome 2024 and Season 4 of Rebecca's Reading Room Podcast! I am thrilled to embark on this new year of possibilities and opportunities for reading. Thank you for joining me on this exciting journey! Get ready for a season filled with book discussions, poetry readings, and literary inspiration. Stay tuned for my upcoming episodes that explore a diverse range of genres and delve into th...

S3 E14 Is there a Santa Claus Is Santa real? Of course, he is! There is reliable confirmation that dates to 1897, when eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote her famous letter. You may recall that it all began when Virginia asked her father, Dr. Philip O’Hanlon, whether there really was a Santa Claus.  Her father’s answer was brilliant.  Instead of responding himself, he suggested that she write d...

S3 E13: Autumn by Emily Dickinson Emily Dickinson was a renowned American poet known for her unique and insightful observations about life. Her poem "Autumn" beautifully captures the essence of this transitional season, providing readers with a thought-provoking reflection on the passage of time and the fleeting beauty of nature. Autumn by Emily Dickinson Autumn by Emily Dickinson The mo...

S3 E12: The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Happy Halloween On the days of October 31 and November 1, we are celebrating traditions that have come to us through the centuries. The ancients who commemorated the Celtic Festival of Samhain would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts, marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or “darker-half” of the year. All Saints Day orig...