Ed Sheeran's Irishness, being school-ready, and Tim Burton's Wednesday

The latest episode of Seen & Unseen Aloud

Natalie Garrett

Natalie produces and narrates The Seen & Unseen Aloud podcast. She's an Anglican minister and a trained actor.

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About this episode

This week, Julia Kendal looks beyond the flags flying to Ed Sheeran's (and our own) sense of national belonging; Henna Cundill asks whether the Education Secretary's new plans will genuinely help our children become school ready and life ready; Lauren Westwood explores Tim Burton's world of the outsider in Netflix's Wednesday.

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If you enjoy Seen & Unseen, would you consider making a gift towards our work?

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Graham Tomlin
Editor-in-Chief

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Podcast

GodPod

Podcasts

5 September 2025

1 min read

Visionaries: Milton's indelible mark on poetry and politics

Jessica Martin discusses the writer's literary legacy with the GodPod hosts

Nick Jones

Nick is the senior editor of Seen & Unseen.

A painting of a young John Milton wearing a neck ruff.

National Portrait Gallery, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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About this episode

In this episode of GodPod’s Visionaries series, we explore the profound impact of John Milton's personal life and Christian faith on his mighty literary works.

Milton's journey from a loyal servant of the crown to a passionate advocate for political reform and freedom of speech is deeply intertwined with his spiritual beliefs. His faith underpinned his writings and fuelled his desire to address the pressing issues of his time – shaping his approach to both poetry and politics.

Join Graham Tomlin, Jane Williams and – special guest - Jessica Martin, as they uncover how Milton's deep faith not only guided his personal life but also left an indelible mark on his literary legacy.

Support this podcast

Since Spring 2023, thousands of people have enjoyed hundreds of podcast episodes and over 1,500 articles.

All for free.

This is made possible through the generosity of our amazing community of supporters.

If you enjoy Godpod, would you consider making a gift towards our work?

Do so by joining Behind The Seen. Alongside other benefits, you’ll receive an extra fortnightly email from me sharing my reading and reflections on the ideas that are shaping our times.

Pledge now