A reviewer of ''Safe as Houses'' claimed that Fanthorpe's poetry is ''rotted in the real world and in ordinary language

... April 11 2005 . Anna Carlisle A reviewer of ''Safe as Houses'' claimed that Fanthorpe's poetry is ''rotted in the real world and in ordinary language.'' How far do you agree with this view? Although it would be simplistic to say that all Fanthorpe's poetry is related to the ''real world'', connections certainly can be made in terms of language style and theme that convey everyday life. One of her principal focuses seems to be that of war but never concerning the actual combat: she instead concentrates on the destruction caused on the home front; to the ''ordinary'' people, particularly exploring the influence of war on children. Indeed, her own experience of childhood, one in which she felt she did not ''fit in'' also shapes her poetry, arguably appealing to all her readers who have, most likely, felt out of place at one time or another in their every-day lives. The language used to

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