The English Poets by Lord David Cecil (Prion, £6.99)

FIRST published in 1942 by Collins, this pot pourri of all that is fragrant in English poetry retains a charmingly quaint retro-look from front to back.

There are no surprises, but that is what you'd expect.

The Tudor period exponents are well-represented, from Marlowe to the Bard himself, and bit players such as Sir Walter Raleigh are also allowed ruff-room.

From then on, it's a breeze throughout the centuries until the recent past, featuring doomed stars such as Rupert Brooke.

The narrative doesn't date, either. Definitely recommended reading for railway carriage, hilltop or riverbank.

John Phillpott