08 June 2019
Posted by Lucy Pearce
11-14 Age Group, 13 attending
With the aim of introducing environmental themes into our workshops, and following in the footsteps of poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, this week's session was based around insect poetry.
To provide the writers with inspiration, we read through poems such as Still Life - Mark Pajak, and Thinnings - Zaffar Kanial. By picking these poems apart and discussing their creative techniques, the writers were able to understand different ways of approaching 'insects' as a theme, such as in a hospital fruit bowl.
To create our own poems, we then all selected a picture of an insect at random, and interviewed it. Questions included: Which three words would you use to describe yourself? What is your dream job?
From this, Izzy created a butterfly who looks good in hats, while Milly discovered a bee who gets a thrill from scaring people. The purpose of this activity is to help create/build a character from your insect, and see things from their perspective.
Haiku's were next on the agenda, about an insect of their choice. After explaining syllables in poetry, all the writers, including those who were attempting them for the first time, wrote brilliant haikus!
Going back to their interviews, the writers then wrote a full length poem, which explored the life and feelings of insects.
One writer wrote a lovely poem about a blue butterfly:
People think I'm so pretty,
but they don't see what real life is.
I'm afraid of them and much more.
People think I'm so elegant,
but yet again they don't see my 'graceful' wings flapping,
as I zoom drastically,
getting away from a rogue child.
People think I'm so happy,
fluttering around in the springtime breeze,
but once more they don't see my thoughts inside
killing me slowly.
People think I'm so special,
as I come to die,
but they don't realise what they do themselves,
see another butterfly.
Then they start over again.
15-18 Age Group , 10 Attending
With new members joining the group, we started the session by introducing ourselves and our favourite insects (makes a difference to favourite piece of literature!).
When analysing insect poetry with the older group, we looked more deeply at the meaning behind certain words and how topics such as climate change, money, and politics are portrayed through poetry. Poems included: Moth - Alice Oswald, The Threshold - Jo Shapcott, and The Human Bee - Carol Ann Duffy.
After interviewing their chosen insects, the writers also pondered on how the world must look to an insect, in terms of both size and environmental development.
Tina created an insects who's "whistle notes are so high only dogs can hear them", while Thomas wrote about a moth with a fear of lamps. (The lamp theme was brilliantly consistent throughout the workshop!)
Haiku's were then written, Hannah's honey bee haiku read:
Hexagon 327
Sticky Pollen Walls Dripping
Humming, soon extinct.
Then, taking information from their character building insect interviews, the writers wrote full poems.
James's poem about a butterfly read:
Fragile
Buoyancy compliments my grace
Stretching to which I fill form
My surroundings I embrace
Sisters and brothers embrace.
Tranquil
Listen to the wind's direction
Follow to stay true
but aware of the infection
I must, as fragile tensions brew
Enlightened
A perspective exclusive
Take note of my companies collective
Be blue but halt abusive
Environment, settlement, which you have rejected.
Archive
Junior & Young Writers: Week 12 [Wild Words] - Stuff & Things
Junior & Young Writers: Week 11 [Wild Words] - World Building 2
Junior & Young Writers: Week 10 [Wild Words] - World Building
Junior & Young Writers: Week 9 [Wild Words] - Mystery & Choose Your Own Adventure
Junior & Young Writers: Week 8 [Wild Words] - Spooky Sequels & Potion Poems
Junior & Young Writers – Week 10 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Final Showcase
Junior & Young Writers – Week 9 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Editing & Performance Tips
Junior & Young Writers – Week 8 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Cuteness
Time goes on by Tavinder Kaur New
Junior & Young Writers – Week 7 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Natural Solutions
Junior & Young Writers – Week 6 (Writers’ Inspiration) – The Language of Fruit and Veg
Junior & Young Writers – Week 5 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Adventures In Space
Tinklebobs and Bedraggled Angles
Junior & Young Writers – Week 4 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Our Environment
Fortune Tellers & Future Letters
Junior & Young Writers – Week 3 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Home
Young Writers - Week 10 (The Art of Writing) – Final Week Showcase
Junior Writers - Week 10 (The Art of Writing) – Final Week Showcase
Young Writers – Week 9 (The Art of Writing) – Choose Your Own Adventure
Junior Writers – Week 9 (The Art of Writing) – Choose Your Own Adventure
Young Writers – Week 8 (The Art of Writing) – Sequel Stories
Junior Writers – Week 8 (The Art of Writing) – Sequel Stories
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Edward The Martyr - A Competition!
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Young Writers - week 2 - 'fractured fairy tales'
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Young Writers - week 1 - 'from deep inside a forest'
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