The Importance of Listening to Poetry

I learn so much every time I do a session. One of the other things that has been a major emphasis of my broadcasting career and also of my book in exploring the Hobbit about 10 years ago is the poetry. Many modern readers just don't, they're not used to reading it. Even in English classes in school in America, you're not really taught what to do with the poem. So again, the practice of reading carefully, listening carefully, hearing the rhythms, looking for patterns in the language, patterns in the meaning. It's not really difficult because it's not a magic trick. You just need to be ready to do it and willing to do it.