Summary
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the idea of youth. In 1898 Joseph Conrad wrote, “I remember my youth and the feeling that will never come back any more – the feeling that I could last for ever, outlast the sea, the earth, and all men; the deceitful feeling that lures us on to perils, to love, to vain effort – to death…”From antiquity to our own time, the concept of youth, with its promise of possibility and adventure, has been greeted with fascination as well as fear. The ancient Greeks saw the period of youth as dangerous and unpredictable, but how did they seek to control it? How did the Renaissance celebrate the ideals and intellect of youth? Why was 19th century British society so preoccupied with the moral well-being of young people? And does a distinct youth culture still exist? With Tim Whitmarsh, Lecturer in Hellenistic Literature at Exeter University; Thomas Healy, Professor of Renaissance Studies at Birkbeck College, London; Deborah Thom, Lecturer in History at Robinson College, Cambridge.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Just before this BBC podcast gets underway, here's something you may not know. |
| 0:04.7 | My name's Linda Davies and I Commission Podcasts for BBC Sounds. |
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| 0:36.0 | Thanks for downloading the In Our Time Podcast. |
| 0:39.0 | For more details about In Our Time and for our terms of use, please go to BBC.co. UK |
| 0:44.3 | forward slash radio for I hope you enjoy the program. |
| 0:47.2 | Hello in 1898 Joseph Conrad spoke for all of us when he wrote I remember my youth and a feeling that will never come back anymore, the feeling that |
| 0:56.6 | I could last forever, outlast the sea, the earth and all men, the deceitful feeling |
| 1:01.9 | that lures us on to perils to love to |
| 1:04.2 | vain effort to death. From antiquity to our own time the concept of youth with its |
| 1:09.6 | promise of possibility and adventure has been greeted with fascination as well as fear. |
| 1:14.6 | The ancient Greeks saw the period of youth as dangerous and unpredictable, but how did they seek |
| 1:19.1 | to control it? |
| 1:20.5 | How did the Renaissance celebrate the ideals and intellect of youth? |
| 1:24.0 | Why was 19th century British society so preoccupied with a moral well-being of young people? |
| 1:29.0 | And does a distinct youth culture still exist? |
| 1:32.0 | With me to discuss this is Thomas Healy, Professor |
| 1:35.5 | Renecal's Studies at Birkbeck College London, Deborah Tom, lecturer in history at Robinson |
| 1:40.8 | College, Cambridge, and Tim Wittmarsh lecture in Hellenistic |
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