Well, of course, the result only gives us the favourite poet of a fairly small number of people (18,000 or so) who like filling in online questionnaires.

But, like many polls, the result is probably less about poetry than other factors - recent TV exposure in the case of Eliot (an excellent Arena and Robert Webb's documentary) and the somewhat poorer one on Donne by Simon Schama

I think given the usual audience for Radio 4's poetry programmes it's far more likely to be about The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock than the love songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber


I see the charming Daily Mail was once more responsible for misleading headlines.

It's possible that the eyebrow-raising statistic about primary school teachers is based on a misreading - deliberate or otherwise


The research study, commissioned by the United Kingdom Literacy Association, aimed to explore primary teachers' personal reading habits and their perceptions of the importance of literature and posed the question

Do teachers' personal reading habits affect literacy teaching?

The researchers in this study argue that this could be explained by primary teachers prioritising phonics programmes but struggling to raise the profile of reading for pleasure.

... but lets look at what the study actually said which was certainly NOT

"something like 60% of primary school teachers could not name more than 2 poets, or poems"

The teachers participating in the survey were invited to name six CHILDREN'S poets that they felt were both valuable for children and useful for teaching and learning in the primary classroom.

While (58%) could only name one or two 10% of primary teachers came up with six names.

I think there have been more than enough posts knocking teachers recently!

the actual research study

Typical Daily Mail Headline!
'More than half of primary teachers 'are unable to name three poets'