The conventional wisdom seems to be that our most impressionable years are the first seven or so. This suggests that the poems we hear in early years will be the ones which have the biggest impact on us. So in looking at 'influential poetry' should we be considering nursery rhymes and other poetry aimed specifically at children?

This thought occurred when visiting a friend yesterday. He is a mature, thoughtful, worldly-wise, self-aware man in his mid-thirties but the poetry he enthused about was that of A A Milne. He picked out two - Lines and Squares, and Halfway Down - but could have gone on http://www.poemhunter.com/i/ebooks/pdf/a_a_milne_2004_9.pdf
and
http://www.quotesandpoem.com/poems/poeticworks/milne/A._A._Milne_Poetry_Collection_1/11

I think they're fun and skilfully written. Have any parents out there tried to use Milne or anyone like him to strike a spark in their offspring?