S4E2: "Infant Innocence" by A. E. Houseman

Welcome to Season 4 of The Well Read Poem with poet and classicist Thomas Banks. This series of poetry readings will focus on poems having animals as the subject. Some poems will be by well known poets, while others will be by less popular poets.
This week’s poem is “Infant Innocence” by A. E. Houseman. This poem rather pokes fun at the more romantic treatment of animal characters by poets like William Blake. Poem begins at timestamp 5:09. Check out our sister podcast, The Literary Life Podcast, for more great discussions of literature!

Infant Innocence

By A. E. Houseman

The Grizzly Bear is huge and wild;
He has devoured the infant child.
The infant child is not aware
It has been eaten by the bear.