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Posted on February 6th 2019
Tower of London Inspires Young City Poets
Year 7 and 8 girls went to the Tower of London this week to take part in the Young City Poets Project, arranged by the National Literacy Trust.
The projects gives young people the chance to visit famous cultural venues in their area, to inspire poetry. You can read below some of the poems inspired by the trip.
Before a special poetry workshop, the girls toured a luxurious royal bedroom and a sinister prison that held potential traitors of the British monarchy.
Students were also lucky enough to see the Crown Jewels up close and personal. The Head of Security, Gareth, whose job it is to look after the Crown Jewels, arranged for the HAB girls to peruse the priceless jewels at their own pace. This exclusive treatment meant that the conveyor belt that carries tourists past the Crown Jewels was stopped for us. The last time that happened, it was for the Queen of Malaysia's royal visit!
Koh-i-Nur
During their time at the Tower, the girls learnt about the history of the breath-taking Koh-i-Nur diamond that can be found set in the Queen Mothers Crown. It is the bloody history of this magnificent diamond that was the inspiration for the poetry workshop that followed. During the workshop our girls wrote some outstanding poetry that explored the beauty of the diamond and the difficult history of British imperialism that surrounds it.
At the end of our visit, students performed their outstanding work for the tourists who were leaving the room that contains the Crown Jewels. The girls words helped the audience to see the Crown Jewels in a new light.
Ms Morris
What students said...
“It was fun because I learnt about the history of Queen Victoria’s Crown Jewel the Koh-I-Nur, but it has a dark history that bought the diamond to Britain in 1849." Mariam, Year 8
"The trip was enlightening and a useful experience for me to understand more of the history of England and ways to express my thoughts in poems." Eva, Year 8
"An experience full of beauties, it helped me face my fears, to confront the public and speak out clear." Samanta, Year 8
"I enjoyed performing my poem in public." Rodiat, Year 8
''It was a fantastic sight and pleasure to go on this adventure of knowledge." Safa, Year 7
"An amazing experience. We were able to witness the original crown jewel and it's keeper." Brianna, Year 8
And here are some of the wonderful poems
Koh-i-nur, mountain of light,
Truthfully, glittering devastation,
A valuable rock of deep sorrow,
The beauty that witnessed great pain,
The diamond of true loss.
Koh-i-nur, mountain of light,
Causing Victoria melancholy discomfort,
Stone cold, stuck in a brooch,
Rock hard, pushed against her heart,
And a constant problem pounding in her head.
Koh-i-nur, mountain of light,
Sparkling in the rays of the sun,
Large and round, luminous and circular,
Like the moon, so luminous against the dark backdrop,
Your dark past,
Stained with blood, you are,
How could a jewel bring such cruelty?
Oh, the pain you brought the youthful man,
Koh-i-nur, mountain of light,
No, mountain of sorrow,
Mountain of pain,
Mountain of loss,
Ruining young master's mind,
Presented to her by his hands,
Driven irrational, while you beam in vain.
Unknown to those tourists,
Who admire you in awe,
You brought blood and insanity,
A blossomed relationship to a lifeless stem,
Do you deserve to be worn by our monarchs?
Perhaps...
They too lack morality and good nature.
Thea
Its appearance illuminates all its surroundings
However,
It gives a guilt of depression for it was taken by force from a young child.
How gorgeous this jewel is you think
But it has a bloody story of guilt behind it's past.
You all seem to think how luxurious this diamond is
But have you ever thought about how painful it must be for a little boy who was blackmailed for its beauty.
His mother was taken
How devastating it must have been
He was only a seven-years-old
Then a teen, still no mother for a child in need.
He first lost his father and then his mother
So what has he got except for a barrel of tears?
This is a story of depression, guilt and sorrow
Now you can hear his cries of sadness.
The precious diamond guilt held,
As each sparkle glimmered, she felt more depressed ,
The luxury of owning a unique model ,
Knowing well that it wasn't her own,
Every second spent with Dulip,
Guilt crawled up my growling heart,
It's glamorous appearance, but it's roaring past
It's luminous shield, but his sorrowful heart.
Safa
From the edge of my eye there was the beautiful crown sitting on the queen's head,
but the queen's face looked guilty of something.
As the light shined on the crown it looked magical,
but the Queen felt uncomfortable
The Crown had colours from the galaxy
but the Queen was so motional about how she got it.
The Crown so big that it cover all of the queen's head,
but the Queen was to sad to talk about how she got the Crown.
Kacey
As the unique site of the koh-i-noor struck her
The sight of gilt revealed it self
Bright, beautiful rays of light scattered through the noise of despair
The calmness of the galaxy shone through the roaring night sky
Luminous light, brighter than the shining sun
Clouds of devastation enveloped the mountain light.
Rodiyat
The unique unexpected diamond illuminated in the light.
Melancholy, the lifeless star felt extremely powerless.
Luminous, blinding like the Sun the Mountain of Light was devastated.
By beauty and by the suffering of his parents.
The protective Koh-I-Noor defended itself travelling through country to country
Emotional it was simultaneously.
Luxurious, it has now ended to honourable Queen Victoria.
Even though she felt sorrowful wearing it.
By Sweatha
The glistening diamond was cold and hard,
Bringing great discomfort to her heart.
Although it lay there, looking glamorous,
It still brought major guilt and sadness.
Its gentle curves that were lightly carved,
Could not camouflage that boy's hurt heart.
Jennifer
Although I may seem beautiful,
If you see me, you’ll feel emotional.
I’ve been passed; royalty to royalty,
Yet not one of these royals with morality.
I sat on her chest-so wonderful,
But still my story is so sorrowful
He held me in his hand; so bold,
However from him (the seven year old) they stole.
Now so luminous I am built!
Their hearts forever remain trapped in guilt.
Mahila
The mountain of light glistened to the flickering stars,
Yet swarms a wave of regret turned her stone cold.
Glamorous was what the diamond made you feel,
But sorrow hidden in the darkness lurked.
The knife-like edges and cold powerful presence left you in awe,
Thinking of the scars it had caused.
Unique was what it had been described,
But don’t be fooled by the deathly glimmer.
The mountain of light continues to fool,
But do not conform or you will be the one who is doomed.
Eva
The mountain of light
The mountain of light was supposed to be powerful
But every time his heart approached
It’s glistening corners cut his power off
This luxury has made history
But not only because of its beauty
No, don’t be deceived by it
It had left Duleep’s heart stone cold
And to him vengeance wouldn’t grow old
For the British had scarred him with pain
His mother, kingdom and diamond
He’d given up in vain
The mountain of light many secrets holds
Forever and ever, they’ll never be told
Samanta
The luminous diamond shone like a star.
The sparkly diamond was blinding.
Stolen from a 7 year old king
It weighted painful and uncomfortable on Queen Victoria's heart .
Covered in guilt and blood, the luxurious kor-i-nuh was in miserable hands.
Sad, the King, Duleep Sing, slowly held up the shiny koh-i-nuh.
Down on one knee he knelt to give the diamond to Queen Victoria.
Fatoumatta
The diamond that is called the mountain of light doesn't really give light it only gives sadness.
A diamond that is supposed to be beautiful and bright doesn't bring beauty and bright it just brings anger.
The diamond that was supposed to shine as an accessory on Victoria, it didn't really bring her happiness
it only made her miserable.
And who knew that such a tiny, sparkly diamond could bring so much pain and anger to the people who wanted it and to the one's who lost it.
And sometimes something that is a gift to somebody might have been taken away from somebody and cost them everything and they might want revenge for it.
Ivana Zaykova
