Rant: Who Says Words with My Mouth

Rave: Who Hears Words with My Ears

ea. vol: color & b/w. 50 min. D.J. Kadagian, Four Seasons Prods., www.4seasonsproductions.com. 2006. DVD $19.95; CDs $15.95; set $49.95. POETRY

Rant and Rave are complementary works that present poetry with music and a variety of visual images. Spanning the breadth of poetic history and styles, the featured poets include Rumi, Ibin Arabi, Chief Seattle, Langston Hughes, Antonio Machado, Pablo Neruda, and Robert Bly. Each program presents six poems that are recited against music and visual content that is as varied as the poems.

A good deal of black-and-white archival footage is included, often very creatively. Chief Seattle’s "Treaty Oration" is set against film of Native Americans from the early part of the 20th century; Hughes’s "Weary Blues" is recited against jazz performances during Harlem’s Renaissance; Rumi’s "Those Who Don’t Feel This Love" is presented against film of fan dancers (not totally appropriate for young audiences).

The blending of the poetry from different periods with images over time helps to underscore the universality of poetry. Rant and Rave would certainly ignite a good deal of discussion about the visual and poetic image. A companion set of CDs offers all the readings as well as the music. Bonus features include access to biographies of all the poets, a poetry index, and the ability to play each poem’s section separately.

Recommended as a supplement to large poetry collections.—Ernest Jaeger, formerly with North Plainfield Pub. Schs., NJ

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