How To Enjoy Poetry

Someone recently said to me, in reference to my poetry podcast, that you d think poetry would be more popular than ever, in the twenty-first century, because people don t have a lot of time and novels are often quite big while poems are often quite small . I referred them to Doctor Who s Tardis.

Frank Skinner wants you to read more poetry. Wait, wait - don t stop reading. Whether you re a frequent poetry reader or haven t read any since sixth form, Frank s infectious passion for language, rhythm and metre will win you over and provide you with the basic tools you need to tackle any poem.

In this short, easy-to-digest and delightful book, Frank guides us through the twists and turns of Pad, pad by Stevie Smith, a short, seemingly simple poem that contains multitudes of meaning and a deceptive depth of emotion. Revel in the mastery of Stevie Smith s choice of words, consider the eternal mystery of the speaker of the poem and be moved by rhyming couplets like you never have before.

Give it a go. You never know, you might even enjoy it.