Most readers coming to this site will be interested in the future of poetry in changing times. The Bookseller announced in December 2023 that poetry was “on course for a record year”, partly due to an increasing number of independent presses (despite their rather precarious existence) and partly as a result of the burgeoning Instagram and TikTok outlets. These do allow great spontaneity, although on this site recently, Bloodaxe’s Neil Astley commented on the potentially dangerous effect of social media publication on the viability of printed poetry books. There are those, such as Matthew Walther in The Lamp July 2023, who bemoan the quality of contemporary writing; but it is certainly true that at all stages of history new poets, new forms and new themes have had their potential rubbished, without that having any effect on their actual longevity. This article is very much about the future of poetry, even if in a rather microcosmic way.

At a recent session of readings at a Wildlife Trust centre in Northumberland which has employed a poet in residence (Paul Mein), there were contributions from the floor by a group of secondary age students from the Duchess’s Community High School in Alnwick, pictured. Catherine Ayres, known as Mrs Newton within her school, was the teacher who accompanied them. Catherine is herself a published poet, and she introduced them as members of a poetry club who met weekly after school to read, workshop and discuss poetry. This is a long-standing project by Catherine who explained its origin: “I had just returned to work after a year’s worth of cancer treatment, and during my time away from the classroom I became obsessed with poetry, both reading it and writing it. I wanted to share my enthusiasm with the students.”

The students who responded to some emailed questions all spoke of their commitment to the club. It represented for them a regular opportunity to spend time doing, with a group of sympathetic others, something they enjoyed and in some cases were passionate about. One longstanding member said that if it was ever cancelled she always felt disappointed. Their comments shone with both enthusiasm and a rational weighing up of the reasons for their engagement. Poetry has clearly become an important part of their everyday as well as their weekly lives, for example: “I’m always thinking of lines and looking for inspiration”; “I see inspiration for poems in most places/people now” and “it’s a way for me to release my feelings in a good environment.” When asked about what they read, they agreed it was healthy to encounter a rich variety of material, although some clearly preferred writing poetry to reading it, which bodes well in some ways.

They were asked questions about their own writing process: “When you write, do you always know what’s coming out?” Replies to this varied, showing that the culture of the group is open and encourages analysis and exploration of approaches.

This set of responses shows the diversity of the group’s writing habits. “I never have a very good idea of what may come out but I normally have some idea of where I want the poem to go”; “Not always, it depends on where my inspiration comes from”; “No, almost never, I write what comes to mind and I’m comforted by the fact that poems don't have to make sense, they just have to be raw.”

 

'I just write words, and also words not really knowing what's happening until I read the full poem and I've created something I love'

 

Here's another response: “Truth be told, sometimes I don't. Whenever I write it's because I want to, because I feel intrigued by a certain story or idea, and occasionally when I'm feeling very inspired, I just write words, and also words not really knowing what's happening until I read the full poem and I've created something I love. That happens very rarely but when it does, I love it. It's hard to describe, it’s like I have a line in mind I thought of earlier, and I write it and the poem is just vividly in my mind and I write it down.”

To another question: “What do you like writing about?”, the responses were equally thoughtful and varied. “I write about emotions a lot and I often include a lot of imagery, often natural imagery.”; “I generally have a certain idea or line in my head but write about it in a very abstract form so it’s not always easy to find the true meaning for one of my poems. People can interpret them how they like.”; “I like writing about memories mainly because each detail is how you remember it, and if two people wrote about the same thing it would be entirely different, and that intrigues me.”

A third question asked about preferred styles of writing in terms of poetic forms. Catherine explained that the students over time were exposed to a great variety of content and form, and she mentioned that sometimes the club sessions were led by guests to give even further variety, in terms of how material was presented and discussed.

 

'My work usually tells a story using imagery, but I don't plan it that way, it just comes to me'

 

This question also generated a mix of replies: “I normally enjoy writing in free verse, however I enjoy the challenge of writing in form occasionally.”; “My work seems to just be whatever is in my mind at the time.”; “My work usually tells a story using imagery, but I don't plan it that way, it just comes to me.”; “I don't want to write the same style of poem over and over again, yet I always end up doing exactly that. It’s something I try to stop but when I read the finished poem it’s the same as my other 100,000 poems. I'll only write a poem in a completely different type (ie haiku, limerick) if for example, I'm reading something out, as my best work often comes from limitations. Diamonds are made under pressure.”

Catherine produces annual pamphlets of the work produced at the club which has now run at the school for seven years. The students have had some success in submitting to magazines, such as Pushing Out The Boat, published in Scotland. They have also submitted to competitions and one was a winner in the youth section of a Newcastle Poetry Festival competition. Both at the Wildlife Centre event and through the online contact since, the seriousness of the individuals’ approaches has been a timely reminder that age doesn’t determine a writer’s dedication or quality. This is indeed a safe space for a family of poets which offers support and consistency over a period of years and it would be good to discover whether or not it is unique. In either case, it is  something that deserves to thrive and develop.

Thank you to Catherine and especially to Dorit, Cedric, Holly and Matthew.

 

Catherine Ayres, pictured, and the Duchess Poetry Club are on Instagram

 

 

 

 

Catherine Ayres has published one collection, Amazon (Indigo Dreams), and has another forthcoming, Janus, also with Indigo Dreams