The Secret Life of Books (2014)

S2E2 Edward Lear's Nonsense Songs

Nicholas Parsons, an avid admirer of Edward Lear, delves back into the beloved book that introduced The Owl and the Pussycat. He examines the delicate balance of happiness and sadness in Lear's work while uncovering how this epileptic, bronchial, asthmatic depressive forged a groundbreaking style of poetry that seamlessly blended clever wordplay with remarkable illustrations.