The poems included here are among the most popular with Tube travellers, along with our own special favourites. The themes of poets from Shakespeare’s time to our own recur: love, the natural world, society past and present, and poetry itself.
Poems on the Underground 40 Poems for 40 Years Leaflet
Listen to all the poems in the Poems on the Underground 40 Poems for 40 Years leaflet
You can hear all the poems in the Poems on the Underground 40 Poems for 40 Years leaflet read by poets Ian Duhig, Imtiaz Dharker, John Glenday, Maura Dooley, Kwame Dawes, Gavin Ewart, Michael Rosen, Ruth Fainlight, Seni Seneviratne, Helen Ivory, Gerard Benson, George Szirtes, Valerie Bloom, Nick Makoha, Cicely Herbert, Katrina Naomi, Paula Meehan, Marjorie Lotfi , Linda Anderson, Kerry Shawn Keys, Brian O’Connor and Patience Agbabi
Lady Augusta Gregory I am Raftery the Poet
I am Raftery the Poet read by Ian Duhig
Louis MacNeice What is Truth?
What is Truth by Louis MacNeice read by Nick Makoha
Agha Shahid Ali Stationery
Stationery by Agha Shahid Ali read by Imtiaz Dharker
Kit Wright Honesty
Honesty by Kit Wright read by Brian O’Connor
W.B. Yeats He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
Maura Dooley reads He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven by W.B. Yeats
Kwame Dawes Dew
P.B. Shelley Music when soft voices die (To Emilia V)
Music when soft voices die by P.B. Shelley read by Linda Anderson
Michael Donaghy The Present
The Present by Michael Donaghy read by Patience Agbabi
Robert Burns John Anderson, My Jo
John Anderson My Jo by Robert Burns read by John Glenday
Gavin Ewart, A 14-Year-Old Convalescent Cat in the Winter
A 14-Year-Old Convalescent Cat in the Winter read by Gavin Ewart
Michael Rosen London Fields
London Fields written and read by Michael Rosen
Mahmoud Darwish Green the land of my poem
Green the land of my poem by Mahmoud Darwish read by John Glenday
Yehuda Amichai The place where we are right
The place where we are right by Yehuda Amichai read by Imtiaz Dharker
Elizabeth Bishop One Art
Elizabeth Bishop One Art read by Ruth Fainlight
Les Murray The Meaning of Existence
The Meaning of Existence by Les Murray read by Linda Anderson
Charles Causley I Am the Song
I am the song by Charles Causley read by Kerry Shawn Keys
Bei Dao from Sidetracks
from Sidetracks by Bei Dao read by George Szirtes
Katrina Naomi Diary
Diary written and read by Katrina Naomi
Ciaran Carson Fear
Fear by Ciaran Carson read by Paula Meehan
Paula Meehan Seed
Lorna Goodison Bam Chi Chi La La
Bam Chi Chi La La by Lorna Goodison read by Seni Seneviratne
Roger Robinson A Portable Paradise
A Portable Paradise by Roger Robinson read by Imtiaz Dharker
Leanne O’Sullivan Note
Note by Leanne O’Sullivan read by Marjorie Lotfi
John O’Donohue Time to be slow
This is the time to be slow by John O’ Donohue read by Brian O’Connor
Benjamin Zephaniah The London Breed
The London Breed by Benjamin Zephaniah read by Valerie Bloom
Kamau Brathwaite Naima for John Coltrane
Naima by Kamau Brathwaite read by Valerie Bloom
Wole Soyinka Season
Season by Wole Soyinka read by Nick Makoha
Cicely Herbert Everything Changes
Everything Changes written and read by Cicely Herbert
Grace Nichols For the Life of this Planet
For the Life of this Planet by Grace Nichols read by Marjorie Lotfi
John Glenday For My Wife, Reading in Bed
For My Wife, Reading in Bed written and read by John Glenday
Gillian Clarke Six Bells
Six Bells by Gillian Clarke read by Seni Seneviratne
Carol Ann Duffy Prayer
Prayer by Carol Ann Duffy read by Helen Ivory
John Donne No Man Is an Island
No Man is an Island by John Donne read by Brian O’Connor
Po Chu-i The Red Cockatoo
The Red Cockatoo by Po Chu-I read by Nick Makoha
William Shakespeare from King Lear
from King Lear by William Shakespeare read by George Szirtes
W. H. Auden Epitaph on a Tyrant
Epitaph on a Tyrant” by W H Auden read by George Szirtes
A. D. Hope Inscription for a War
Inscription for a War by A. D. Hope read by Nick Makoha
Janet Frame I Take into My Arms More Than I Can Bear To Hold
Janet Frame I Take into My Arms More Than I Can Bear To Hold read by Imtiaz Dharker
Lucille Clifton Won’t you celebrate with me
Lucille Clifton won’t you celebrate with me read by Valerie Bloom
Czeslaw Milosz And Yet the Books
And Yet the Books by Czeslaw Milosz read by Gerard Benson