I had the joy of spending an afternoon with the wonderful Year 5 students at Bangkok Patana School, exploring what poetry is and how to bring their nature poems “from page to stage” through performance poetry techniques in preparation for their upcoming Poetry Celebration.
Together, we explored how poetry is far more than words on a page – it is something we feel, hear and experience. Students discovered that poets don’t simply describe the world; they transform it through imagination, emotion and careful choices of language. We also explored how every poem has layers of meaning, much like peeling back the layers of an onion, revealing something new with every reading.
Throughout the session, I performed several of my own poems, including Poetry Is, Write Yourself Aloud, Our Art Is the Start, and The Nightingale, demonstrating a range of poetic forms and performance styles. We examined how techniques such as internal rhyme, alliteration, onomatopoeia and anaphora can make spoken poetry more engaging, while expressive delivery through intonation, gesture, pacing and pauses helps bring words to life.
Inspired by Mauree Applegate’s poem Be Specific, students also explored how strong verbs, precise vocabulary and sensory imagery enable poets to create vivid pictures in the minds of their audience.
One of the highlights of the afternoon was seeing the students participate with such curiosity and confidence. Their thoughtful questions, enthusiastic responses and willingness to experiment reminded us all that poetry is a living art form – one that continues to evolve through the voices of young writers today.
Thank you to the Year 5 teaching team for the invitation. It was wonderful to share my work as a performance poet, and I look forward to seeing these young poets step onto the stage and bring their own words to life.
