A breakthrough for Chinese poetry farmers!

Yes, I've been watching the propaganda drivel and unintentional laugh-fest that is China International Television (CCTV 9) once again.

I had the lunchtime news on in the background while I made a sandwich a few days ago, and one of those vowel-mangling lady presenters came out with an intriguing opening line for a story that brought me rushing to the screen to find out what it could possibly mean. She said something like, "Do you believe classical music can help your poetry?"

She then repeated variations of this phrase a number of times more. I was certainly prepared to entertain that proposition. Listening to more Beethoven might help improve my sensitivity to scansion (I often have a bit of a tin ear for metre, I'm afraid). Perhaps Bach would instil more structural discipline in me. Yes, this did seem beguilingly possible. Perhaps they were really on to something here.

Unfortunately, I soon discovered that my 'poetry' was not the kind of poetry this item was talking about. Oh no.

Actually, they were dealing with poultry. It was that inability to properly voice l's completely messing up the preceding vowel sound as well problem again.

The reporter was talking to a Chinese chicken farmer who is convinced that playing Chinese classical music helps to de-stress his hens and increases their rate of laying eggs. Fascinating stuff, in its way - though hardly world-shatteringly original. And no help at all with the sonnets and the limericks.