The poet is very ardent (5)
I believe the answer is:
burns
'the poet' is the definition.
(Rabbie Burns 1759-1796 the Scottish poet)
I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for burns that I've seen before include "Overcooks" , "experiences strong emotion" , "Scots poet" , "feels strong emotion" , "Is on fire" .)