Can poetry be written to order?
Updated on 30 January 2009
One of the favourites to take over as poet laureate has ruled herself out, saying great verse cannot be written to order.
Wordsworth, Tennyson and Betjeman all held the post of the monarch's poet, writing verse about great national occasions.
But Wendy Cope says when Andrew Motion steps down this year it is time to abolish the post.
