 
                
                        Body Beautiful
Sophie Robinson and Giles Terera turn their gaze upon the beauty and art of the human body, with reflective poems from Mark Doty, Sylvia Plath, and Claudia Rankine.
Turn your gaze upon the beauty and art of the human form, with great works about nudity, narcissism, body positivity, the male gaze, physical desire, and physical fitness.
Composers regarding their own image in the mirror include Benjamin Britten, William Horsley, and William Onyeabor, while Sylvia Plath does the same in her post-plastic-surgery poem ‘Face Lift’. Elsewhere, Eavan Boland, Anne Carson, and Christina Rossetti all attempt to grapple with the idea of the female as muse and sitting model, and Claudia Rankine resists a world that would turn her invisible. Meanwhile, Mark Doty hits the gym in an effort to achieve the body beautiful.
The readers for this episode are the beautiful bodies (and voices) of Sophie Robinson and Giles Terera.
Readings: 
Osip Mandelstam - Somebody gave me this body
Walt Whitman - I Sing the Body Electric 
Robert Browning - Rhyme for a Child Viewing a Naked Venus in a Painting of “The Judgement of Parisâ€
Eavan Boland - Self-Portrait on a Summer Evening
Christina Rossetti - In an Artist's Studio
Anne Carson - Short Talk On The Mona Lisa
Anne Carson - Short Talk On Hedonism
Lord Byron - She Walks in Beauty
Jan Beatty - Sitting Nude
Maya Angelou - Phenomenal Woman
Claudia Rankine - Citizen - An American Lyric - VII
Rupert Brooke - Thoughts on the Shape of the Human Body
Ella Wheeler Wilcox - I Love You
Federico Garcia Lorca - Casida Of The Reclining Woman
Mark Doty - At the Gym
Craig Raine - Marcel’s Fancy Dress Party
Sylvia Plath - Face Lift
Thomas Hardy - I Look Into My Glass
Constantine P. Cavafy - Remember, Body…
Produced by Jack Howson. 
A Reduced Listening production for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 3.
Last on
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
- 
    ![]() 00:00 00:00Jon BalkeAnodyne 2 Librettist: Yusef Komunyakaa. Choir: Trondheim Voices. Ensemble: Batagraf.- Grappa.
- 493596.
- 2.
 
- 
    Osip Mandelstam - Somebody Gave Me This Body (trans - Paul Schmidt)Read by Sophie Robinson Walt Whitman - I Sing the Body ElectricRead by Giles Terera ![]() 00:03 00:03Yusef Komunyakaa, David Cieri & Mike BrownAnodyne - White Dust.
- 1.
 Walt Whitman - I Sing the Body ElectricRead by Giles Terera ![]() 00:10 00:10Aaron CoplandFanfare For The Common Man Music Arranger: Keith Emerson. Performer: Emerson, Lake & Palmer.- Fanfare For The Common Man - PT. 1.
- Atlantic ‎.
- 3398.
- 1.
 ![]() 00:13 00:13Arthur BaxThe Maiden With The Daffodil Performer: Ashley Wass.- Piano Works, Vol. 3.
- Naxos ‎.
- 8.557769.
- 3.
 Robert Browning - Rhyme for a Child Viewing a Naked Venus in a Painting of “The Judgement of Parisâ€Read by Sophie Robinson ![]() 00:17 00:17Richard Rodgers, Lorenz HartMy Funny Valentine Performer: Elvis Costello.- Armed Forces.
- Rhino Records.
- R2 78190.
- 7.
 Eavan Boland - Self-Portrait on a Summer EveningRead by Sophie Robinson ![]() 00:19 00:19Éliane RadigueNaldjorlak I (Pour Violoncelle) - Mouvement 3 Performer: Charles Curtis.- Naldjorlak I II III.
- Shiiin ‎.
- shiiin 9.
- 3.
 Christina Rossetti - In an Artist's StudioRead by Giles Terera ![]() 00:24 00:24Jay LivingstoneMona Lisa Singer: Nat King Cole. Orchestra: Les Baxter and His Orchestra. Lyricist: Ray Evans.- Mona Lisa.
- Capitol Records.
- F1010.
- 1.
 Anne Carson - Short Talk On The Mona LisaRead by Sophie Robinson ![]() 00:27 00:27Sonny SharrockPortrait Of Linda In Three Colors, All Black - Black Woman.
- Vortex Records.
- 2014.
- 3.
 Anne Carson - Short Talk On HedonismRead by Sophie Robinson ![]() 00:30 00:30Rachel PortmanMirror Orchestra: The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: David Snell.- Belle - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
- Varèse Sarabande ‎.
- VSD-7278.
- 5.
 Lord Byron - She Walks in BeautyRead by Giles Terera Jan Beatty - Sitting NudeRead by Sophie Robinson ![]() 00:34 00:34George Frideric HandelSemele, HWV 58: Act III Scene 3: Myself I shall adore Singer: Rosemary Joshua. Orchestra: Early Opera Company. Conductor: Christian Curnyn.- Handel: Semele.
- Chandos.
- CHAN 0745.
- 10.
 Maya Angelou - Phenomenal WomanRead by the Author ![]() 00:41 00:41Cooper-MooreMy Body Is My Body - Woo-men.
- WFMU.
- 1.
 ![]() 00:44 00:44William OnyeaborFantastic Man - Tomorrow.
- Wilfilms Records.
- WRLP 1003.
- 2.
 Claudia Rankine - Citizen - An American Lyric - VIIRead by Giles Terera ![]() 00:47 00:47Kamala SankaramKeeping The Look Loose Librettist: Claudia Rankine. Choir: Brooklyn Youth Chorus. Conductor: Dianne Berkun Menake.- Keeping The Look Loose.
 Rupert Brooke - Thoughts on the Shape of the Human BodyRead by Sophie Robinson ![]() 00:49 00:49³§²¹±ô³Ùâ€Nâ€P±ð±è²¹I Am The Body Beautiful - To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar - Music From The Motion Picture.
- MCA Soundtracks.
- MCAD-11231.
- 1.
 Ella Wheeler Wilcox - I Love YouRead by Sophie Robinson ![]() 00:52 00:52Elvis PresleyYoung And Beautiful - Jailhouse Rock.
- RCA Victor ‎.
- EPA-4114.
- 2.
 Federico Garcia Lorca - Casida Of The Reclining Woman (trans - W.S. Merwin)Read by Giles Terera ![]() 00:54 00:54Charles IvesStudy No. 21 "Some South-Paw Pitching" Performer: Donald Berman.- The Unknown Ives.
- Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI) ‎–.
- CD 811.
- 8.
 Mark Doty - At the GymRead by Giles Terera ![]() 00:58 00:58William HorsleySlow Fresh Fount Ensemble: The Clerks of Christ Church. Librettist: Ben Jonson.- A Garland of the Elizabethan.
- Somm Recordings.
- SOMMCD 047.
- 11.
 Craig Raine - Marcel’s Fancy Dress PartyRead by Giles Terera ![]() 01:04 01:04MatmosCalifornia Rhinoplasty - A Chance To Cut Is A Chance To Cure.
- Matador.
- ole 489-2.
- 7.
 Sylvia Plath - Face LiftRead by Sophie Robinson ![]() 01:08 01:08Billy BraggThe Busy Girl Buys Beauty - Life's A Riot With Spy Vs Spy.
- Utility ‎.
- UTIL 1.
- 3.
 Thomas Hardy - I Look Into My GlassRead by Giles Terera ![]() 01:10 01:10Benjamin Britten6 Metamorphoses After Ovid - Op. 49 X: V. Narcissus - BRITTEN / SAUNDERS / JACKMAN: Music for Solo Oboe.
- BIS.
- BIS-CD-769.
- 5.
 Constantine P Cavafy - Remember, Body… (trans - Aliki Barnstone)Read by Sophie Robinson Broadcast- Sun 15 Sep 2019 17:30ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 3
 
 
            