
Six Centuries of Verse
Sir John Gielgud is joined by an outstanding repertory of actors in this pioneering, imaginative series demonstrating the immense variety and emotional impact of English-language poetry, from the fourteenth century to the contemporary era.
- Created By
- First Aired on
May 02, 1984
- Popularity: 11.0293
- 1 votes
- Networks
- (GB)
- Production
Thames Television (GB)
- Status: Ended
Show Ended
1 seaons till Dec 09, 1984
Last episode: Towards the Present 1934-1984
Seasons & episodes
Total 1 seasons, 16 episodes

Season 1
Aired
Episode 1Chaucer - Ted Hughes400 min
This introductory programme establishes the continuity and variety of poetry over six centuries, touching on different genres by using extracts from some of the many poems featured in the series - from Chaucer to Ted Hughes.
Episode 2Old English400 min
A look at the poetry composed between the mid-seventh century and the Norman Conquest, including Julian Glover's reading of part of his own adaptation of the heroic epic Beowulf.
Episode 3Chaucer 1340-1400400 min
Chaucer was the first great named poet in English. This programme focuses on The Canterbury Tales, with a reading of the introduction by Gary Watson and a detailed exploration of The Pardoner's Tale.
Episode 4Medieval - Elizabethan 1400-1600400 min
This programme explores the late Medieval period leading into the Renaissance, discussing poems dealing with love, death and ambition by Skelton, Wyatt, Raleigh, Marlowe and Shakespeare.
Episode 5Shakespeare 1564-1616400 min
A chronological look at Shakespeare's dramatic genius, using extracts from eight plays: Romeo and Juliet, Henry V, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra, Cymbeline and The Tempest.
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