Reviving the lost art of learning and reciting poetry
The occasion for this recital was a fine one. Monday marked this year's finals of Poetry by Heart, a national competition for reciting poetry. Pupils from across England descended on Shakespeare's Globe to recite their favourite stanzas. Some 200,000 children have taken part in the competition since it was founded in 2013, supported by Andrew Motion, the poet laureate at the time, to encourage the teaching of poetry.
• The power of poetry for kids
Reciting poetry is something of a lost art. The compulsory requirement for students to learn poems was scotched from the curriculum in 1944. Yet in 2012, it made a surprise return to the English syllabus. Some teachers complained it was an outdated practice, yet the success of the Poetry by Heart competition suggests they were wrong. Plus, according to a study by Cambridge University, there are benefits to reciting poetry. Its Poetry and Memory Project concluded that those who memorised poems found it provided a useful container for thoughts, a comfort zone for the brain that helped forge new emotional connections. And which poem did it find was most commonly known for recital? The Owl and the Pussy-Cat.
Fox, a patron of Poetry by Heart, explained why knowing great poems is important. 'It's a compass, a road map when it's in your head to navigate the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune … a way of giving words to those problems when you don't quite perhaps have the words yourself.' The pupils who appeared at the Globe can thank the work of Poetry By Heart for reviving this lost life skill.
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High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated. What causes breast cancer? A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply 'out of control'. Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics. What are the symptoms of breast cancer? The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid filled cysts, which are benign. The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit. How is breast cancer diagnosed? Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours. Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer. If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray. How is breast cancer treated? Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used. Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour. Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery. Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying. Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the 'female' hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer. How successful is treatment? The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure. The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 71 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.
