The pub is looking for Shakespearean sonnets

Brian Penfound, who runs the Plymouth Arms in St Fagan's, has promised to display the winning verses in the pub.

The celebration of England's patron saint day on 23 April might seem a bit unusual in a Welsh pub.

However, Mr Penfound said the pub already holds big celebrations for St David's Day on 1 March and St Patrick's Day on 17 March, and it is all part of making the pub part of the community.

For St David's Day, they borrow props from the Museum of Welsh Life, which is just across the road from the pub.

Our inn is very traditional and we thought that this would be the perfect place to celebrate such an English day Brian Penfound

Throughout St George's Day, customers will be invited to pen a poem over a pint.

They get extra marks if they manage to mention the pub and St George in their verses.

Mr Penfound has written one poem himself and has already received a few through the post in advance of the day.

"Our inn is very traditional and we thought that this would be the perfect place to celebrate such an English day," he said.

"We are hoping that guests will come up with a really original verse about the inn.

"To make it even more of a challenge, the verse must mention the name of the inn and to mark the saint's day, St George.

"I've come up with this verse myself which is chalked up on the blackboard at the moment but am hoping we can replace it with a better one written by a guest."

Greek

The original St George is unlikely to have ever set foot in England.

Legend has it that he killed a dragon in a Libyan town and rescued a local princess, after which the residents converted to Christianity.

I think it's splendid that somebody's choosing to use poetry to celebrate anything Peter Finch, Welsh Academy

It is likely the myth originated from the Greek tale of Perseus.

He died in 303 AD, martyred for his Christian faith in Palestine. He is also the patron saint of Georgia, Moscow and Catalonia.

For the St George's Day contest, the writer of the best verse will win a book containing all of Shakespeare's sonnets and get their work displayed on blackboards around the pub.

Mr Penfound's verse is:

Upon this patriotic day, we hope,
St George, if you lived today,
That after battle with the vengeful dragon,
You'd enjoy refreshment at our tavern.
For the Plymouth Arms has fine food and ale
To tempt you when you're tired and frail.

Peter Finch, chief executive of the Welsh Academy and a practising poet, praised the initiative.

"I think it's splendid that somebody's choosing to use poetry to celebrate anything.

"It's flexing the mind, it's getting people to realise that poetry's not an arcane art," he said.

"It could be a lot of fun, and it ends up enlarging the market for poets generally as it encourages people to read more."

He said it was slightly odd that they were celebrating St George's Day but added: "A lot of people come from England to work in Cardiff, so why not?"