Jeremy Vine - 04/10/2010

Jeremy Vine celebrates poetry this week to mark National Poetry Day on Thursday 7 October. Every day, Jeremy hosts discussions, listens to readings and explores, with his listeners, the unique potential for poetry to touch and change lives. Each day's programme focuses on a different theme and poetry's ability to move, excite or comfort people, whether they are experiencing intense joy, grief, heart-stopping or gut-wrenching turmoil or pleasure. Subjects covered include love, war, death, places and children. Each lunchtime this week, a listener will share their meaningful poem and explains its particular appeal and personal relevance. Listeners are invited to join the discussion on what makes poetry so special and powerful in today's busy, multi-media world. The programme has two in-house poets, Mr Gee and Lucy Berry, who will each write a poem to match the subject of the day during the show. DJ, poet and presenter for Radio 4's Bespoken Word, Mr Gee uses his African and Caribbean roots and hip hop DJ background to craft his unique lyrical style. Former poet-in-residence for The Jeremy Vine Show, Lucy Berry writes vividly, passionately and sometimes angrily about the pressures and pleasures of modern life. Their poems will be uploaded at the end of the show to: bbc.co.uk/radio2 and listeners are also invited to submit their own poetry. Other online activity includes a specially filmed masterclass in poetry writing by Mr Gee. Jeremy says, 'I had a poetry moment when I was at college. I suddenly realised I loved what I was reading - mainly Philip Larkin at that time. Nowadays TV and movies and the web have demolished attention spans and distracted us, but I think poetry is great for the internet age: it's short and pithy. So bring it on, Radio 2!'.