Well versed in crafted poetry

Pocklington School recently hosted a poetry masterclass when it welcomed a group of year five children from local primary schools.

Wednesday, 19th July 2017, 3:00 pm
English teacher Mrs Bond (back row, centre) welcomes children from local primary schools to the Pocklington School Poetry Masterclass.

Led by English teacher and author Allison Bond, the day provided a fascinating insight into how to create beautifully crafted poetry and use a range of higher thinking skills.

During the day, the pupils from Elloughton Primary, Wilberfoss Primary and Pocklington Community Junior Schools, created different styles of poetry, focusing on three different subject areas.

Firstly, they created a series of tightly patterned verses, named Haiku, using inspiration from the natural world.

Writing on location in front of a large, old tree at the front of the school, the pupils noted down words to describe the tree and how it could inspire feelings of hope, which they used to create their own Haiku poems

Secondly, the pupils worked together to produce a sonnet, using as its focus a statue of a slave, which is situated within St Nicholas’s Quad at Pocklington School.

The slave statue was produced by Old Pocklingtonian Peter Tatham in honour of one of the school’s most famous alumnus, William Wilberforce, and here the pupils were asked to think of words linked with suffering, exploitation and fear.

Returning to the classroom, they each produced a four-line verse to go towards creating the finished sonnet.

Mrs Bond said: “At the start of the day, I asked the pupils what they would be interested in achieving. I was impressed by the thought they put into their responses.

“Some wanted to tell a story in a clear and simple way; others wanted to weave a moral into their poetry.

“The children were really enthusiastic and managed to generate and refine their ideas throughout the day.”