On December 4, 1950, two years after winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, T.S. Eliot stood behind a lectern in the Kaufmann Concert Hall at the 92nd Street Y and read some of his best work in front of hundreds of people.

Now the whole world can relive that moment: The 92nd Street Y has unearthed a never-before-heard recording ahead of a listening event on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. celebrating the Unterberg Poetry Center’s 80th anniversary.

Eliot had recorded several poems before his death in 1965. But on that winter night, before delving into titles including “Preludes” and “La Figlia che Piange,” he delivered a preamble on his craft, often rousing the crowd to laughter.

The clips below convey a more relaxed side to the modernist poet, one that’s thoughtful, humorous and self-effacing.