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25 November 2024

Posted by Tabby Hayward

Writing the Winter

This week, following snow last week and Storm Bert wreaking havoc, we turned to some wintry writing! After sharing favourite things about the Winter, we came up with kennings for wintry things (including snow, ice, sleet, icicles, snowflakes, wind, fairy-lights and fir trees) which we shared and put together into this collaborative poem - see if you can guess what all the kennings are about!

Star Season

Touchable star
flake-aloft
winter’s blossom
earth’s winter duvet
nature's-glass
roof fingers
forest builder    
family-branch                                                         
string star
sky roarer
cold fellow                                                                              
harsh berries                                                                
bitter-touch
rain-dagger
undecided precipitation
cold-mirror
prickle-berry
tree shaker
death-Rattle
water-lock
cold-Bells
grey goose
white-Blanket
winter’s Breath
merry eyes
indoor-stars
universal breath
star-shimmers

Next, we looked at the painting Hunters in the Snow by Bruegel, and free wrote exploring the painting - what was happening? where was the eye drawn to in the painting? what were the colours, the mood, feelings? how would it feel to fall into the painting?

We looked at two ekphrastic poems inspired by the painting - Hunters in the Snow by William Carlos Williams and Winter Landscape by John Berryman, discussing the two different approaches to exploring the painting through poetry. Inspired by this, the writers were challenged to either develop their free write into a poem or to choose a different winter painting to write an ekphrastic poem.

Here's Lawrence's exquisite Hunters in the Snow poem:

Hunters in the Snow. 


Dogs toiling away between branches and snowdrifts;

Hunters’ corralling whistles, bell-cries and hand-cup-calls 

clash against wind and the circling Crow-caws. 


White, black, brown, red; 

the scent of cinnamon from behind brickwork-

the blood, sweat and ambition of the chasing pack. 


No-one speaks wider thoughts out-loud, 

Preferring to live in their snow globes, 

circling their own desires. 


Skaters laugh, 

Hunters roam, 

Winter watches on, brooding in fading light. 



Merry winter morn

by Christopher Thomson


Returning home, empty handed
But not empty-hearted.
Hunters trudge through he slushy white, their dogs
Panting earnestly in the chill air.
You see
Many people have crowded across
The frozen lake below, 

Whilst
On the hillside, a small group huddle 

Merrily ‘round a roaring fire.
You stand, stolen by the sight beheld.


Snowy majesty, the whole village 

Out to play, a thick blanket
Atop every homestead.
White capped peaks rise, far in the distance.

Bare winter trees
March down the hillside.

A magpie swoops across
The feast of sight and sound,
Fearless folk, merry fellows.
Come together to share
Life, warmth and laughter.
Peace on earth and
Good will amongst men.


Fox Crow Hunt
by Christopher Thomson


The fox pants urgently,

As a shadow swoops from the sky.

Darting this way and that he

Evades black feather, beak and claw.

Hunger driving both to desperation,

As their frantic hunts pace on.


The beauty of the landscape
Snow, pure white
Sky, serene blue, whilst

Others circle above.

The rouged colours of the chase
Cast the quiet surroundings with
Screeches and yowls, echoing
Into the cold winter night.


By David, inspired by Hunters in the Snow:

The Bird of prey circles its next victim
The dots on the frozen lake below
The damp air moistens the lungs of 
the Dogs and the Humans below
The empty branches rustle high above 
the foot bridge over the water
Despite those in the distance only the wind

and everything it touched could be heard

By David, inspired by Sea of Ice by Caspar David Friedrich:

Sea Of Ice

Broken shattered jaggered 
shards broken pieces
muddy dirty lumps
statue like shapes 
encompasing all vessels
leaving nothing behind 
Kaleidiscope of horrors
crushed little pieces
giant chasm opens
dreams left swallowed
empty expansive voids



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