Poems New and Old

In Poems New and Old, John Freeman gathers a singular poetic voice that maps desolate landscapes, private reveries, and the shifting moods of early 20th-century Britain. This poetry collection—first appearing in 1920—weaves nature imagery, autobiographical fragments, and a quietly prophetic sensibility into poems whose rhythms and forms feel both rarefied and immediate. Freeman’s landscapes are at once austere and vividly alive: high airs, solitary horizons, and moments of spiritual listening where ordinary sound gives way to something larger. Set against the transition from Victorian to modernist sensibilities, these lyrics explore solitude, memory, and the endurance of truth in language. Contemporary critics admired Freeman’s individuality and the companionable solace his work offered readers; today, the poems reward repeated listening, revealing new cadences and subtleties with each pass. As a poetry audiobook, Poems New and Old highlights the musicality of Freeman’s verse and the intimate tone of his autobiographical pieces without ever surrendering their mystery. Ideal for listeners of classic British poetry, nature poetry, and reflective lyricism, this collection will appeal to anyone who savors thoughtful, atmospheric verse that lingers long after the last line.