Audio Files for English 264 Online

On this page I will put links to the podcasts that form the primary lectures for this course, as well as various short audio files such as recordings of poets reading their works, music excerpts, and other sounds relevant to our reading assignments.

Podcasting—a relatively new term combining “iPod” and “broadcasting”—refers both to the means of publishing audio and video files to the internet in such a manner that users can subscribe and receive updates to them, and also to the audio and video content itself. Although the term podcast is related to iPod, you do not need to have an iPod to listen to it. You can listen to podcasts with the free Apple iTunes application, downloadable here. Once you have downloaded a podcast, you can listen to it on your computer, burn it onto a CD, or transfer it to an iPod.

The first time I taught this online course I created podcasts to accompany our reading assignments. In the podcasts I provide background information on the authors and texts we read, talk about their culture and their influences, and point out connections to (and conflicts with) previous authors and texts. I read poems or prose passages and point out themes and techniques to observe. Finally, I discuss some ways of analyzing the readings, and suggest some issues and topics you might pursue in your own analysis in your blogs. The podcast episodes range in length from ten to thirty minutes or so.

I recommend that you do the assigned reading, then listen to the podcast for that reading. At least the first time you listen to it, you should have your textbook with you so that you can follow along as I read and discuss passages. You may wish to read the asigned text again before you write your blog, or respond to your classmates' blogs.

 

Podcasts

You can access these podcasts in two ways. You can listen to mp3 files of the podcasts in your web browser by clicking the links below. For more convenient listening, right click to save to your computer for later listening, to burn to a CD or to place on your iPod or other listening device. Note that these podcasts were recorded several years ago; although the page numbers mentioned in our book are the same, but incidents and factoids I mention may be outdated. Be sure to read my Blackboard blog to get updated information about me (and my family).

 

Audio Files

I believe that many students can respond better to texts with the addition of multimedia, perhpas becuase of the visual and audio stimulation that surrounds us in our media rich culture. Where possible, I will make available here sound files to supplement our readings. For example, when we read Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem “The Aeolian Harp” it is helpful to know that a windharp sounds like this. Similarly, when we read the “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats, you might be interested in knowing that a nightingale sounds like this.

Jonathan C. Glance
Professor of English
Mercer University
Last Updated 15 May 2014