On Monday 11 November, five Second Form students attended the culmination of this year’s Poetry Together event at Central Hall in Westminster. Led by Gyles Brandreth and supported by Duke’s Education, the event aims to unite young and old through the enjoyment of poetry. The boys had already written and performed their own poem on the theme of friendship for residents at Guildford House Residential Home as part of an internal school competition. After submitting recordings of their work, they were invited to attend the workshop in Westminster.
The day began with a workshop run by Carol Rumble, where the students were tasked with sketching a childhood memory and transforming it into a “cinquain” poem – a structured format following a syllable count of 2, 4, 6, 8, 2. The boys enthusiastically shared their creative pieces before enjoying lunch in Parliament Square.
In the afternoon, the group attended a workshop led by Matt Goodfellow, a former rockstar and teacher turned poet from Manchester. Goodfellow shared his inspiring message that “your life matters and your experience of life matters,” encouraging students to use poetry to express their inner thoughts and take pride in their heritage. He emphasised the importance of breaking away from rigid language rules and drawing inspiration from personal experiences.
The event concluded with a performance involving poets and students, including Alex and Luca, who confidently read their poems to an audience of several hundred. Their work stood out, with members of the audience describing them as the “best poems they had heard all day.”
This was a rewarding experience for the students, allowing them to develop their creativity, confidence and appreciation for the power of poetry to connect people across generations.