In honor of National Poetry month, we at Flavorpill have been amping up our poetic coverage a little bit, from suggesting poems you can memorize to celebrating our favorite badass poets. But since poetry is really meant to be read aloud, we’ve also been celebrating the month by listening to some of our favorite celebrities reading famous poems. Now, audio recordings of celebrities — especially (British) actors — reading poetry are a dime a dozen, so we decided to limit the field to actual videos of celebrities performing readings and recitations, whether on stage, in a more intimate setting, or filmed solo. Click through to watch a few of your favorite public personas read you some poetry, and let us know which ones you like best in the comments.
Bill Murray reading “Another Reason I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House” by Billy Collins, “Poets Work” by Lorine Niedecker, and some Emily Dickinson for construction workers building the new Poets House in 2009.
Bill Clinton reading “Concord Hymn” by Ralph Waldo Emerson for the Favorite Poem Project.
Bono reading Charles Bukowski’s “Roll the Dice.”
Patti Smith reading Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” at a 2009 concert in Florence.
Dennis Hopper reading Rudyard Kipling’s “If” on the Johnny Cash Show.
Alan Rickman reciting “The Long War for Peace Day” by Laurie Lee.
Anthony Hopkins reading Dylan Thomas’s “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night.”
Tom Waits reading “The Laughing Heart” by Charles Bukowski.
Kenneth Williams and Maggie Smith reading “Death in Leamington” by Sir John Betjeman.
Harold Bloom reading “Tea at the Palaz of Hoon” by Wallace Stevens.