As If: Poems Selected and Read by John Ciardi

The introspective poetry of John Ciardi (1916–1986) is a consideration of one’s place in life and nature. Published in 1955, the volume As If: Poems New and Selected contained 73 poems. Ciardi selects 25 of them for this recording, beginning with the five-part “To Judith,” written for his wife. He follows with “Elegy Just in Case” (for himself) and elegies for others lost at war, “Three Views of a Mother,” and “Flowering Quince.” The text of the poems is in the liner notes.

Track Listing

101	To Judith, I John Ciardi	01:29
102	To Judith, II John Ciardi	03:04
103	To Judith, III John Ciardi	01:17
104	To Judith, IV John Ciardi	01:11
105	To Judith, V John Ciardi	01:56
106	Elegy Just in Case John Ciardi	02:42
107	Days John Ciardi	02:13
108	The Lamb John Ciardi	01:39
109	Elegy John Ciardi	02:59
110	Elegy for Sandra John Ciardi	02:03
111	Three Views of a Mother, 1 John Ciardi	01:10
112	Three Views of a Mother, 2 John Ciardi	01:46
113	Three Views of a Mother, 3 John Ciardi	02:39
114	At a Concert of Music, Remembering the Dead in Korea John Ciardi	02:46
201	A Thought about Sheik Bedreddin John Ciardi	01:25
202	In the Witch-Hunting Season John Ciardi	01:25
203	Kristoffer Second John Ciardi	02:04
204	Elegy for G.B. Shaw John Ciardi	02:24
205	Flowering Quince John Ciardi	02:06
206	Sunday Morning John Ciardi	07:09
207	Measurements John Ciardi	01:22
208	Doctor Faustus John Ciardi	03:42
209	Thoughts on Looking into a Thicket John Ciardi	03:53
210	On Looking East to the Sea with a Sunset Behind Me, I, II John Ciardi	03:20
211	On Looking East to the Sea with a Sunset Behind Me, III John Ciardi	00:59