Earlier this term, we ventured to find new Key Stage 3 and Upper School Poet Laureates to join Ben C, our current Key Stage 4 Poet Laureate, to entertain and enthuse, inspire and intrigue, through our collective love of poetry. The competition was set: pupils who entered the competition were tasked with writing their own Shakespearean sonnet in the style of the Master's Sonnet 130.

All entries demonstrated delightful levels of creativity. Now it brings me great pleasure to announce the winners, our new Poet Laureates: Oscar S will be our Upper School Poet Laureate and George M will be our Key Stage 3 Poet Laureate. Congratulations to them both!
Here are their winning entries:

There is a woman standing before me.

Her man does keep her out of reach.

But her gleaming beauty he does not see,

Her story, her song, he does not preach.

Her sonnet is written behind her eyes

Her lips do sing in the colour of love

Her hair so fair it spells models’ demise

Her kindness a plague, carried by dove,

Bird snatched and caged, but sent to me,

Robbed, oh robbed from me too soon,

Yet tasteless she is, still overcome by glee.

A mirage she is, showered in fake love.

Oscar S, Upper School Poet Laureate

I espied thee when sadly Death did call,

Thy blade a whisper, chill as winter’s breath;

Yet in thine eyes there burned a flame withal,

A clandestine image against death.

wite an abash, death a terror oh lord

Love an abash, abash of gold ground

Oh enamour thee cannot afford

If Fate decry those bullet's shall stain the sound,

And thee shall not fight, for amor never be,

For in that wound eternal peace is engraved,

And my resting place I shall foresee,

Over the dim waters thou are now laid.

A sad Wundorlic feeling, love may be,

For death itself is gentler compared to thee.

George M, Key Stage 3 Poet Laureate