On Monday 21 November, during Whole School Assembly, we announced our next Poet Laureate to succeed Year 9 pupil, Matthew Perry, who previously held the coveted position.
Following a College-wide competition that was held, in which there were entries from nearly every year group, Head of English, Ms Jessica Hearn, announced that Year 13 pupil, Hope Lane, will be the College's next Poet Laureate.
Speaking during Assembly, Ms Hearn said:
"After the successes of last year, the English Department launched its search for its second Poet Laureate. For those of you who don't know, the Poet Laureate is a poet appointed by a government or an organisation who often writes poetry which engages with national public events, and plays a role in raising the awareness of poetry. Poets such as Tennyson, Wordsworth, and Duffy have held this honorable title.
The holder of this role at Shiplake will be tasked with writing verse for all manner of upcoming occasions over the course of the academic year.
This year, there were many amazing entries and we were really impressed with how many got involved with the competition and it was lovely to read new and original poetry. It really demonstrated the impact that poetry has on everybody and it is used as creative expression.
The competition was tough but I am now delighted to announce that our winner, who will be reading their entry right now, is Hope Lane in Year 13."
Ms Hearn then invited Hope to read their poem in front of the College and below, you can read Hope's beautiful winning entry poem:
What is change?
Seasons move as days do. Blooming and withering. But this is not change.
The earth spins in a cosmic dance, the ballroom of the universe. But this is not change.
The sun rockets around the milky way, dragging creation along with it. But this, is not change.
These things are constant, they are eternal. This is not change.
We can measure the moments of the air, the weather, asteroids and supernovas. These things are not change.
These things are constant, stable, as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. If these things are not change, then what is?
Those who stand for their convictions, who fight for their resolve. People are change.
We can change, that is our power. We can rely on things to stay the same, unless we change them. To be better than you were yesterday, that is changing.
We can peer into the sky, to see the universe as it was in the beginning, and we know how it will end. And yet tomorrow, your worst enemy could be your greatest friend.
This is change.
