“I’ve avoided poems that other writers here have recommended, but which otherwise would certainly have been on my list (such as Richard Wilbur’s superb ‘A Barred Owl’, chosen by Andrew Motion). There are also some astonishing recordings in the historical…

“Since I spend much of my time rooting around in the eighteenth century, this is where I headed first. Hearing poems from long ago brought to life by poets from our own age is peculiarly fascinating. The doubling-up of voices…

“On my initial visit to the Poetry Archive, the historical recordings caught my attention first. I did not know that recordings of Tennyson, for instance, existed. Although some of the following lines were a little indistinct, it was incredibly exciting…

“As a secondary schoolteacher in London for the past thirty years, it has been my privilege to have had a job which at its core, involves getting teenagers to fall in love with poetry. I have made my selection for…

“I really enjoyed listening to all the poems in the Archive. It’s fantastic to hear poets reading their own work. It took me a long time to choose my favourites – I think it would be much easier to choose…

“The writer and broadcaster Clive James introduces a few of his favourite poems in the Poetry Archive.”  

“Poetry happens at a sort of junction in the mind when new combinations start up, words and pictures start connecting in unexpected ways. It takes you into what can feel like anarchic territory, and that’s one reason for trying to…

“I love this archive. It’s an important reminder that all literature has its roots in the human voice. Black print on white paper is not remote and abstract stuff but grows out from ‘ordinary’ language, is linked to stories told…