Waterskiing on Poetry - Waving hello to poems and poets with Neil Elder

About Waterskiing on Poetry - Waving hello to poems and poets with Neil Elder

A light-touch exploration of poems and poetry with Neil Elder, long-time English teacher and prize-winning poet. Taking inspiration from the Billy Collins poem, 'An Introduction To Poetry', Neil puts poems alongside each other to see how life looks when seen through the lenses of different poets. There will be poems everyone knows, and plenty that are new to listeners. Not heavy, but certainly illuminating.

Publisher

Neil Elder

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

26 Aug 2025

Latest episode

4 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

19 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Oct 2026

   Ep 19 - Marriage, Maps & WD40

   Marriage - poems about marriage, hearts, flowers, clichés. But wait! These poems are not the obvious kind. Instead, we see the fiddly bits of a relationship, the bits that hold the whole thing together. In this episode we wave hello to poems that celebrate a deeper and more patient kind of love. U.A Fanthorpe transforms the prosaic aspects of long-term relationships into something of mythic level in her poem Atlas. While Dennis Scott struggles to negotiate life with another in Marrysong - its all about perseverance. Oh, and Michael Blumenthal pops up with his poem A Marriage - ceilings never felt so romantic. Yes, THREE poems in this episode. The poems can be read here -- Atlas - https://weeklypoems.brookes.ac.uk/2007/11/19/atlas/ (https://weeklypoems.brookes.ac.uk/2007/11/19/atlas/) A Marriage - https://millerbrian.com/stories-n-stuff/2017/1/10/a-marriage-by-michael-blumenthal (https://millerbrian.com/stories-n-stuff/2017/1/10/a-marriage-by-michael-blumenthal) Marrysong - https://genius.com/Dennis-scott-poet-marrysong-annotated (https://genius.com/Dennis-scott-poet-marrysong-annotated)

2. 

   1 Oct 2026

   Rain In The Rainbow

   Ep 18 - Pain and pleasure, rain and rainbows, tenderness at the toughest times. We hold two up to the light and wave hello to Chrissy Banks and her poem The Gift and Nettles by Vernon Scannell. The works consider the way love shows through in challenging times, and how the desire to protect those we love is hard wired. Nettles by Scannell can be read here https://allpoetry.com/Nettles (https://allpoetry.com/Nettles) The Gift by Chrissy Banks does not appear to be easily found on the internet - fragments Prezi presentations exist, but the poem itself ... EDIT - Chrissy and I have been in touch - you can now read The Gift at https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14o7MmdKgtb/

3. 

   17 Sept 2026

   The Grass Keeps Growing

   Ep 17 - When we say 'war poetry' we think of trenches, mud and gas. But what happens when the fighting has ended? Who clears up? How do lives go on? In these extraordinary poems Carl Sandburg and Wisława Szymborska help us think about wars in ways we usually do not. Do we need to remember every battle? Do we need to move on with our lives or is that disrespectful? Against man's absurd behaviour, ultimately nature endures (we hope). Read the poems here - The End And The Beginning - Szymborska ⁠https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52955/the-end-and-the-beginning⁠ (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52955/the-end-and-the-beginning) Grass - Sandburg - ⁠https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45034/grass-56d2245e2201c⁠ (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45034/grass-56d2245e2201c)

4. 

   10 Sept 2026

   Know your Limits

   Ep 16 - Where is the divide between healthy ambition and something more dangerous and foolhardy? Do we need to get to Mars? In There Are Roughly Zones, Robert Frost explores man's desire to push boundaries with a peach tree as a metaphor. In Polar Bear George Bilgere examines the dividing line between the great wide younder and man's place in the world. We hold the poems up to the light to see what we can learn about our own ambitions. You can read the poems here - Robert Frost - https://voetica.com/poem/920 (https://voetica.com/poem/920) George Bilgere - https://newohioreview.org/2020/11/06/polar-bear/ (https://newohioreview.org/2020/11/06/polar-bear/)

5. 

   30 Jun 2026

   Ep15. Identity Crisis?

   In this episode we consider the desire to be one of the crowd at the expense of your real identity. Would you deny your parents and your background so that you could 'fit in'? Or is that idea outdated in 2026, are we ready to proclaim who we really are? We explore these ideas via 'Dance Class' by Hannah Lowe, and 'In A White Town' by Daljit Nagra. You can find the poems on these links - https://proletarianpoetry.com/2015/02/23/dance-class-by-hannah-lowe/ https://www.poetryinternational.com/en/poets-poems/poems/poem/103-19357_IN-A-WHITE-TOWN The interview I refer to with Daljit Nagra is here - https://aestheticamagazine.com/daljit-nagra/

6. 

   10 May 2026

   Buffaloes And The Blue Planet

   Ep 14. Recorded on Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday, this episode treads an ecological path. We explore 'The Flower-Fed Buffaloes' by Vachel Lindsay, and 'Report To Wordsworth' by Boey Kim Cheng. Both poems raise the matter of how human activity impacts the environment - and at the end of our skim across those poetic waters, I offer my poem in honour of Sir David. To read the poems go here - https://allpoetry.com/The-Flower-Fed-Buffaloes⁠ (https://allpoetry.com/The-Flower-Fed-Buffaloes)https://big-slate.com/study/en/c/85e7bbea/report-to-wordsworth-boey-kim-cheng (https://big-slate.com/study/en/c/85e7bbea/report-to-wordsworth-boey-kim-cheng) To hear Vachel Lindsay read the poem go here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-GyPsFcnLQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-GyPsFcnLQ)

7. 

   5 Apr 2026

   Ep 13. Who's Leaving Who?

   Leaving home ain’t easyOn the one you're leaving home (Brian May) In this episode we explore the inevitable sense of love and loss that has to happen when children become independent and move beyond the orbit of their parents. Our exploration of this theme is built around the poems 'Walking Away' by C.Day Lewis, and 'To A Daughter Leaving Home' by Linda Pastan; two poems we hold up to the light and admire. Does the parent feel the dread of starting school more than the child? And how can riding a bicycle be a metaphor for growing up? We discover in this episode - oh, and we reference a couple of songs by Queen that also deal with the process of leaving. The poems can be found here - C. Day Lewis - ⁠https://holytrinity.academy/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Walking-Away-Worksheet-1.pdf⁠ (https://holytrinity.academy/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Walking-Away-Worksheet-1.pdf) Linda Pastan - ⁠https://www.loc.gov/programs/poetry-and-literature/poet-laureate/poet-laureate-projects/poetry-180/all-poems/item/poetry-180-075/to-a-daughter-leaving-home/⁠ (https://www.loc.gov/programs/poetry-and-literature/poet-laureate/poet-laureate-projects/poetry-180/all-poems/item/poetry-180-075/to-a-daughter-leaving-home/)

8. 

   15 Mar 2026

   Ep 12. Imagined Museums

   Imagine a museum of the future. What would you put in it? Would you put your vinyl, video cassettes and cheque book in there? Oh, and what would you leave out of the museum display? Do you have anything that is just too valuable and personal for the public gaze? Are we in danger of forgetting things if they are not preserved? When we all move to Mars some time in the future, could emotions like love become concepts from the past? These thoughts are all explored in the poems held up to the light in this episode. Tracy K Smith's poem The Museum of Obsolescence and Rebecca Lindenberg's The Museum of Lost Objects take us into imagined museums. You can read the poems here https://genius.com/Tracy-k-smith-the-museum-of-obsolescence- (herehttps://genius.com/Tracy-k-smith-the-museum-of-obsolescence-) annotatedhttps://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/55526/in-the-museum-of-lost-objects (annotatedhttps://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/55526/in-the-museum-of-lost-objects) The interview with Rebecca Lindenberg that I refer to is here - https://www.cincinnatireview.com/on-craft/poetry-at-the-museum/ (https://www.cincinnatireview.com/on-craft/poetry-at-the-museum/)

9. 

   15 Feb 2026

   Ep 11. Dog Lovers Beware!

   Love dogs or hate dogs? Either way, this one is for you. Here we wave hello to Billy Collins and Jack Underwood with their poems Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House and A man is dragging a dead dog, respectively. But these poems take us further than just having a nice time reading about dogs; they raise questions about the role of the reader, and highlight the way imagination underpins our reading. There's humour and darkness in equal measure. We bounce from barking dogs to Beethoven to a bizarre street scene where the reader takes over the role of the main character. Listen and enjoy! Instagram = @WaterskiingOn Poetry https://www.instagram.com/waterskiingonpoetry/ (https://www.instagram.com/waterskiingonpoetry/) To read the poems use these links - Billy Collins - https://allpoetry.com/Another-Reason-Why-I-Don't-Keep-A-Gun-In-The-House (https://allpoetry.com/Another-Reason-Why-I-Don) Jack Underwood - https://poetryarchive.org/poem/man-dragging-dead-dog/ (https://poetryarchive.org/poem/man-dragging-dead-dog/) Essay by Jack Underwood - https://poetrysociety.org.uk/underwood-uncertain-subjects/ (https://poetrysociety.org.uk/underwood-uncertain-subjects/)

10. 

    24 Jan 2026

    Ep 10. War And Pancakes

    How do we get through the day when war is on our televisions, and who cares about that stuff when we've got cartoons to watch and pubs to go to? Carol Ann Duffy and George Bilgere help explore the matter in War Photographer and Pancake Dilemma. War is serious - so is it okay if one of these poems is actually funny? Find the poems here - https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/war-photographer/ https://rattle.com/pancake-dilemma-by-george-bilgere/ George Bilgere is here https://www.georgebilgere.com/ See Don McCullin photographs here https://donmccullin.com/

11. 

    15 Dec 2025

    Ep 9. Trains, Stars & Disappearing Cities. Exploring the Paul Farley poem 'Liverpool Disappears For A Billionth of A Second' and 'Star-Gazer' by Louis MacNeice.

    Two stellar poems are being held up to the light for our exploration. In the Paul Farley poem a whole city disappears, but only for a moment. Whilst in the Louis MacNeice poem the concept of time is stretched out to an astronomical scale. Find the poems here https://allpoetry.com/poem/8495809-Star-Gazer-by-Louis-MacNeice https://www.poetryinternational.com/en/poets-poems/poems/poem/103-17537_LIVERPOOL-DISAPPEARS-FOR-A-BILLIONTH-OF-A-SECOND Let me know what you think of the poems on here or on Instagram - at WaterskiingOnPoetry

12. 

    5 Dec 2025

    Ep 8 - BEAUTY v DUTY. Exploring 'Stopping By Woolds On A Snowy Evening by Robert Frost and 'Leisure' by WH Davies

    What would life be without a bit of leisure, doing nothing, staring out the window? Butt wait, there's that nagging feeling you should be doing something 'useful'. In this episode we put two poems head to head in the Beauty V Duty battle. Who will win?! Find the poems here - Robert Frost = https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42891/stopping-by-woods-on-a-snowy-evening WH Davies = https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/leisure Let me know your winner on Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/waterskiingonpoetry/?igsh=MXVhcnJ5MXI0aTNiNg%3D%3D#

13. 

    22 Nov 2025

    7. The Mother of Surprises. 'The Raincoat' by Ada Limón meets 'Mother, Diving' by Andrew Forster = Epiphany

    I've been guilty in my time of taking my mother for advantage, let's face it, we all have. So let's make amends and let's celebrate the mothers in this world who do so much that goes unnoticed by the people they care for... until one day they show people they've still got it! In this episode. 'The Raincoat' by Ada Limón is put alongside 'Mother, Diving' by Andrew Forster - and the mother of all surprises results. Find the poems here - 'The Raincoat' by Ada Limónhttps://poets.org/poem/raincoat (https://poets.org/poem/raincoat) 'Mother, Diving' by Andrew Forster (see page 6) https://delasalleenglish.weebly.com/uploads/5/9/0/8/5908529/unit_2_poetry_across_time_specimen_exam__f.pdf (https://delasalleenglish.weebly.com/uploads/5/9/0/8/5908529/unit_2_poetry_across_time_specimen_exam__f.pdf) Let me know what you think of the poems on here -- https://www.instagram.com/waterskiingonpoetry/?igsh=MXVhcnJ5MXI0aTNiNg%3D%3D# (https://www.instagram.com/waterskiingonpoetry/?igsh=MXVhcnJ5MXI0aTNiNg%3D%3D#)

14. 

    7 Nov 2025

    Episode 6. Past, Present, Future? Edward Thomas with 'Old Man' and 'Blueberries' by James Lasdun

    Today Neil goes waterskiing across the past, future and present with 'Old Man' by Edward Thomas and 'Blueberries' by James Lasdun. Thoughts about our early memories, and also the question "Where will you be in twenty years?" are brought to the surface in these time-bending poems. Instagram - WaterskiingOnPoetry https://www.instagram.com/waterskiingonpoetry?igsh=MXVhcnJ5MXI0aTNiNg== (https://www.instagram.com/waterskiingonpoetry?igsh=MXVhcnJ5MXI0aTNiNg==) Find the poems here - Edward Thomas, Old Man https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57210/old-man-56d23a7a628f2 (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57210/old-man-56d23a7a628f2) James Lasdun, Blueberries https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/89519/blueberries (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/89519/blueberries)

15. 

    27 Oct 2025

    5. Leaving innocence. Carol Ann Duffy and Seamus Heaney under the spotlight.

    Leaving school and getting out into the big wide world - exciting or terrifying? Let's see what Carol Ann Duffy says in her poem 'In Mrs Tilscher's Class' and also what Seamus Heaney has to say in 'Death of a Naturalist', two terrific poems that might make us long for the past when life seemed a little easier. I'm on Instagram at WaterskiingonPoetry https://www.instagram.com/waterskiingonpoetry?igsh=MXVhcnJ5MXI0aTNiNg==

16. 

    12 Oct 2025

    Episode 4. Birds of Prey or Politics? In this episode we hold Claude McKay's poem 'Birds of Prey' up to the light, alongside Ted Hughes' 'Hawk Roosting'.

    Put 'Birds of Prey' by Claude McKay next to 'Hawk Roosting' by Ted Hughes and boy, do they sing to each other! Are we really reading poems about birds? Yes - and no! Let's see how how politics, dictators and the ruthless desire for power is really at the heart of these poems. I'm on Instagram at WaterskiingOnPoetry https://www.instagram.com/waterskiingonpoetry?igsh=MXVhcnJ5MXI0aTNiNg== https://neilelderpoetry.wordpress.com/

17. 

    3 Oct 2025

    Episode 3 - Look up, here comes Icarus!

    In this episode, Neil waves hello to WH Auden's 'Musée Des Beaux Arts' and considers how this poem still connects with the busy lives we lead. Also in the programme is 'Icarus', by the American poet George Bilgere, with a lesson to us all to look up from our phones. Im WaterskiingOnPoetry at Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/waterskiingonpoetry?igsh=MXVhcnJ5MXI0aTNiNg==

18. 

    26 Aug 2025

    Episode 1 - Daffodils: Wordsworth and Gillian Clarke

    Neil takes a look at two poems that feature daffodils, but what are the poems really about? With background information on Wordsworth's oh so famous poem' I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud" Neil seeks a link beyond the yellow flower, with the Gillian Clarke poem 'Miracle on St David's Day'. Instagram at WaterskiingOnPoetry https://www.instagram.com/waterskiingonpoetry?igsh=MXVhcnJ5MXI0aTNiNg==

19. 

    26 Aug 2025

    Episode 2 - Animal Encounters: Traveling Through The Dark & Roe Deer

    Encounters with animals can be startling, magical and memorable. Neil takes a look at the challenge presented in William Stafford's poem 'Traveling Through The Dark' and sees how the presentation of an encounter with an animal can differ quite remarkably by then looking at 'Roe Deer' by Ted Hughes. I'm on Instagram - WaterskiingOnPoetry https://www.instagram.com/waterskiingonpoetry?igsh=MXVhcnJ5MXI0aTNiNg==

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Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

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