The Poetry of Sex

'It's the way that you say I don't usually do this.'

Romance and poetry seem to go hand in hand but - implicit, explicit, nuanced or starkly frank - sex itself has long been a staple subject for poets.

And little has changed over the centuries, from Ovid describing a summer afternoon of love-making to Rosemary Tonks telling the Story of a Hotel Room.

Sophie Hannah's selection ranges from ancient Rome to modern New York, from gay to straight, from marital bliss to furtive adultery, but her principle has been to go low on the sugar and high on the excitement.