Poems by Year 4 at Brampton Primary (Newham), inspired by Pie Corbett

I recently had a fantastic day at Brampton Primary School in Newham, East London. I worked with several Year 4 classes, doing different activities with each class. In one of the classes we looked at Pie Corbett's piece 'A Poem to be Spoken Silently', which you can view here. I asked each pupil to imagine their favourite place, and then reimagine at night time. Using the prompt 'it was so silent that...', I then gave each pupil the chance to jot down some lines. A great variety of work was produced, of which the following is a small, delicious sample: 

Paris by Ana

It was so silent that…

I could hear the people of Paris hustling

The sly birds flying and flapping their wings 

The Arc de Triomphe bending all on its own 

It was so silent that 

I could hear the break baking in the bakery 

The frogs still croaking even though they died [!]

The clappering shoes of tourists

In the Palace of Versailles 

The Beach by Moyo 

It was so silent that 

I could hear the palm trees swish 

Hear the city lights go on and off 

The beach’s waves swish and swash 

Hear the loud, hot burning weather 

The crowd’s spirits whispering in my ear

Outside My Window by Lewis 

It was so silent that 

I could hear the gentle drop

Of a leaf from a tree

I could hear the swift swish 

Of the grass 

The neighbour’s music

From inside their house 

I could hear

A top on the glass 

The Cat Cafe by Hareem 

It was so silent that I could hear 

The cats purring in their beds

And meowing for their food 

The cute little cats

Crawling on the mats 

And making their way

Onto cosy laps 

It was so silent that I could hear 

The people munching on their cake 

The cats could hear it too

And knew it was food 

So I give the cats food

It gives me a purr

Nothing is better

Than a good old purr