ABSTRACT
Poetry seems to polarise teachers. Some love to teach it; others think that pupils have a particular dislike of it. Perhaps the problem is the odd, other-worldly status we seem to afford it. The poetry voice, for example, has turned whole generations of children against poetry. You remember it: you take a deep breath and read the poem as though it were in a slightly foreign language, half a note above your usual pitch, in a kind of strangulated monotone, and this confers a kind of dignity on the whole thing. Unfortunately, it also removes most of its meaning and alienates your audience, confirming that poetry is something that exists on a non-human plane and is far too good for the likes of them.
