Letter: Taken to heart

Sir: I note that there is again a move to make poetry take an important place in primary schools (letter, 28 May). This, I am sure, is a good move. I hope, however, some care will be taken with those for whom poetry learning is a non-starter.

At primary school, I had a year when, each day, the first half-hour lesson was taken up with learning ballads. Even with the best help of W H Auden, our teacher, I never learnt more than two stanzas, while some boys managed several ballads.

MARTIN MOTTRAM

Salisbury