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Rhapsody: A Manifesto by Alice Oswald review – a history of the spoken word, from Homer to Ted Hughes

the GuardianEnglish

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A twisting, beguiling investigation into the art of poetry that ends in a call to arms on behalf of the natural world

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Section: Books
By: Fiona Sampson
Published: Oct 2, 2026, 6:00 AM UTC
Updated: Oct 7, 2026, 12:39 PM UTC

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A twisting, beguiling investigation into the art of poetry that ends in a call to arms on behalf of the natural world

AOL.comUnited KingdomRhapsody: A Manifesto by Alice Oswald review – a history of the spoken word, from Homer to Ted Hughes

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#rhapsody #manifesto #alice #oswald #review

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Alice Oswald

British poet (born 1966)

Alice Priscilla Lyle Oswald is a British poet from Reading, Berkshire. Her work won the T. S. Eliot Prize in 2002 and the Griffin Poetry Prize in 2017. In September 2017, she was named as BBC Radio 4's second Poet-in-Residence, succeeding Daljit Nagra. From 1 October 2019 until 30 September 2023, she was the Oxford Professor of Poetry.

Ted Hughes

English poet and children's writer (1930–1998)

Edward James Hughes was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest writers. He was appointed Poet Laureate in 1984 and held the office until his death. In 2008, The Times ranked Hughes fourth on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".

Homer

Ancient Greek poet

Homer was an ancient Greek poet who is traditionally credited as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer was highly revered in ancient Greek society and is considered one of the most influential authors in history. The question of Homer's identity and existence—dubbed the "Homeric Question"—continues to be debated, and scholars generally regard the two poems as the works of separate authors.

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Rhapsody: A Manifesto by Alice Oswald review – a history of the spoken word, from Homer to Ted HughesAOL.comUnited Kingdom3 days ago

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Rhapsody: A Manifesto by Alice Oswald review – a history of the spoken word, from Homer to Ted Hughes

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Alice Oswald

Ted Hughes

Homer

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Alice Oswald

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Homer

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