Listen to the poem read by Richard Dutton

Listen to the poem read by Richard Dutton and watch images of Penshurst place today. (The video transcript does not set out the poem in lines so, if you wish to read it yourself, you can find a copy with introduction and footnotes in the downloads section below. )

As you watch, look out for connections between Jonson’s poem and images of Penshurst and think about how humanity’s integration with the natural world features here.

• How does the poem sound from our current perspectives, in a world faced with unprecedented climate change?

• Do you think its promotion of the consumption of locally produced goods (a fashion called ‘locavorism’) look like form of ‘green’ ecological stewardship?

• How are Penshurst Place and the members of the Sidney family idealized in the text?

When you’ve finished listening to the video, visit the interactive website from Penshurst and make connections to the poem.

Then post a comment on the poem’s connections to Penshurst’s gardens today or about how we might read it in a world concerned with air miles and stewardship of the earth.