Abstract

Can children’s poetry really be considered ‘proper’ poetry? To what extent does it exhibit the features of poetry? This seminar draws on the literary investigation undertaken for my Master’s thesis on the work of the poet Charles Causley – a prolific poet and anthologist, whose work is acclaimed by fellow poets though perhaps not as widely known and appreciated as it deserves. Through a consideration of subject, theme and poetic function, I will demonstrate that Causley’s children’s poetry exhibits formal and textual strategies comparable to those in his adult poetry. I suggest how children’s poetry may relate to the wider category of children’s literature; how certain corollary features such as ambiguity create distinctions that go beyond surface features such as rhyme and metre. After moving from teaching through educational publishing to freelance writing, Debbie Pullinger returned to study last year, completing the MPhil in Children’s Literature at the University of Cambridge.