Book review: Three Poems, by Hannah Sullivan

As a culture, we have long been in love with the idea of the poet as naturally gifted visionary – one who somehow derives inspiration from the mysterious realm of the muses. This is what Burns was tapping into when he described Robert Fergusson as “heaven-taught” – but even heaven-taught Fergusson studied at the University of St Andrews. Time spent in academia doesn’t necessarily result in writing that has a whiff of the academy about it, and good writers are often students of writing.