I appreciate that not everyone enjoys poetry. I wonder if that dislike of all poems or verse stems from a bad poetic moment whilst at school, lack of access or possible an overdose of limericks.

I was lucky enough to have had a great English teacher whilst at school. He preferred literature to the language classes. It was during the eighties and he thought grammar and spelling were of a lesser value than a person’s creativity. (No doubt you will have already noticed.)

His teaching was a little like Jamie Oliver’s attitude to cooking. Attention to the quantities of ingredients is not as important as the general enthusiasm and satisfaction of cooking the dish.  I think that is why I love poetry.