25 AUGUST 1967, Page 24

Auden's minor birds

Sir: Even more than Mr Anthony Burgess (11 August), I am surprised at Scott being rated as a minor poet on the strength of a few scraps of verse from his chapter headings. What about the many magical songs, lyrics, ballads scattered throughout the novels? A far truer assessment of Scott as a poet is to be found in Professor Oliver Elton's Survey of English Literature, in Professor Grier- son's Critical History of English Poetry, not to mention John Buchan's famous Life. I am always profoundly sceptical of the ability of novelists or poets to criticise novels or poetry. And I am sure that Auden, himself a minor poet, is no exception to the rule.