Why people ignore poetry

The death of poet Adrian Mitchell (picture above from the Guardian) in December meant that his well-known remark "Most people ignore most poetry because most poetry ignores most people" which comes from 1964 was quoted extensively. In an article in the Guardian poet John Hartley Williams takes issue with Mitchell's famous remark, and analyses what it means.

He concludes: "Real poems bear witness to the long unfolding situation that is the present that has been going on forever. . . it usually turns out to be rather old news expressed in such a way as to make it unforgettable."

John Hartley Williams also contributed to the Guardian series of poetry workshops. His workshop is here. He reads at the Éigse festival in Cork on 20 February.