I favorite poet of mine is Hilaire Belloc. I say "poet" not "writer" because it is poetry [scroll down for the Poetry section] that amuses me. I tried his "Characters of the Reformation" and it left me stone cold. It seemed to be quite unbiased but so much so that I might as well read an encyclopedia article. For short poems, his Bad Child's Book of Beasts and the sequal More Beasts for Worse Children are the spots to go to. After I placed his poem The Vulture on the cabinet door to remind people about the dangers of snacking, everyone in the family memorized it.
The style reminds me of Ogden Nash. I think some light-hearted poetry should be encouraged. I like Shelley as much as the next person, but we should be playful with language.
Three cheers for Belloc!
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