The Prince of Wales gave a poetry reading on BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast Show Thursday morning in honour of National Poetry Day, reading one of his favourites: “Quoting Shakespeare” by Bernard Levin.
In the pre-recorded piece, Prince Charles said that this is one of his favourite poems because it “reminds one of how remarkable the English playwright was.”
Levin’s poem begins, “If you cannot understand my argument, and declare: ‘It’s Greek to me’, you are quoting Shakespeare.”
Prince Charles said that Levin “wrote this, I think, brilliant piece entitled ‘Quoting Shakespeare.’ It was one of Bernard Levin’s enthusiasms.
“The great thing about it, I think, is it reminds us all just how many words and phrases we use in the English language and in general conversation which actually were originally written by Shakespeare.”
The poem continues, “If you have been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked or in a pickle, if you have knitted your brows, made a virtue of necessity, insisted on fair play, slept not one wink, stood on ceremony… it is a foregone conclusion that you are (as good luck would have it) quoting Shakespeare.”
Prince Charles recorded his poetry reading earlier this week at Birkhall.
Levin was an English writer, author and journalist who wrote for The Times, The Spectator and the Daily Mail over the course of his career. He also published 17 books in his later life and appeared on television quiz shows including That Was The Week That Was and Face The Music.
He received a CBE for services to journalism in 1990. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, ultimately succumbing to the disease in 2005.
The poem concludes, “Even if you bid me good riddance and send me packing, if you wish I was dead as a door-nail, if you think I am an eyesore, a laughing stock, the devil incarnate, a stony-hearted villain, bloody-minded or a blinking idiot, then – by Jove! O Lord! Tut tut! For goodness’ sake! What the dickens! But me no buts! – it is all one to me, for you are quoting Shakespeare.”
