The Daily Poem
Goldberry Studios
The Daily Poem offers one essential poem each weekday morning. From Shakespeare and John Donne to Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson, The Daily Poem curates a broad and generous audio anthology of the best poetry ever written, read-aloud by David Kern and an assortment of various contributors. Some lite commentary is included and the shorter poems are often read twice, as time permits.
The Daily Poem is presented by Goldberry Studios. dailypoempod.substack.com
The Daily Poem is presented by Goldberry Studios. dailypoempod.substack.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 30, 2026 • 5min
Elizabeth Drew Barstow Stoddard's "One morn I left him in his bed"
A look at a 19th-century child elegy and its unusual take on mourning. Vivid funeral-at-sea imagery and a sorrowful homecoming. Intimate passages about private grief and the speaker’s stunned silence. Closing lines that tie personal loss to a wider maternal sorrow.
Mar 27, 2026 • 5min
Seamus Heaney's "Poem"
Today’s poem answers the question you never thought to ask: what do a poem, a barnyard, and a marriage have in common? Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe
Mar 25, 2026 • 3min
Rainer Maria Rilke's "Annunciation to Mary"
In today’s poem, Rilke (trans. J.B. Leishman) imagines the Annunciation from Gabriel’s perspective. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe
Mar 23, 2026 • 5min
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper's "Dandelions"
Today’s poem wonders what it means to recognize and appreciate a gift. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe
Mar 20, 2026 • 4min
Naomi Shihab Nye's "My Uncle’s Favorite Coffee Shop"
Today’s poem contemplates the ways and “why”s of saying nothing, before culminating in a shattering pun on “nothing.” Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe
Mar 18, 2026 • 5min
W. H. Auden's "Funeral Blues"
Today’s poem began its life as a bit of black humor, but lives on as a raw and relatable expression of real grief. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe
Mar 16, 2026 • 4min
Thomas Hardy's "During Wind and Rain"
Today’s poem juxtaposes scenes of summer warmth to scenes of torrential bluster with a seamlessness that would make the best film editor jealous. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe
Mar 13, 2026 • 6min
William Carlos Williams' "Love Song"
Today’s poem captures the agonies and ecstacies of thinking about the absent beloved. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe
Mar 11, 2026 • 4min
Rhina P. Espaillat’s “Butchering”
Today’s poem employs an image worthy of Homer to touch the stark reality of a mother’s intuition. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe
Mar 9, 2026 • 5min
Beowulf prepares for battle
Today’s poem is a selection from the Old English, Beowulf, translated by R. M. Liuzza. In these lines, Beowulf prepares for a harrowing showdown with Grendel’s mother, and the cold, clear beauty of the lines almost makes you wish you were there. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe
