The Silent Cry Poetry Collection

Notes on a Discussion

Notes on a Discussion

Today our teacher decided we’d do a Socratic Seminar,

Just to be sure that our minds were on par.

The tables were arranged in a circular form,

Year Thirteen arrived and our lesson was born.

They sat in the middle table,

A little nervous and unstable.

“The Duchess” poem was handed out,

An archaic poem which we did doubt.

Laminated cards were handed out to us Year Twelve,

And into our selective scrutiny we did delve.

I was to make notes on their terminology speak,

And anything else on “The Duchess” they may leak.  

Others got body language and how they worked as a team,

I was left with the lengthy one, so it would seem.

Year Thirteen began at the teacher’s command,

Discussing imagery, enjambment and waved their hands.

About how the voice could be a tour guide,

Or warning the reader about pride.

How the Duchess was a painting,

And a dinner party was downstairs waiting.

They spoke of experience and the rhyme scheme,

And how interesting the poem had been.

All while under Year Twelve scrutiny,

Pens flying across paper, fulfilling their duty.

Notes spilled across paper lined,

Becoming detailed and defined.

Then the teacher called for the end,

And at her will, we did bend.

We read back our notes on what we’d observed,

The surprise on their faces we could have preserved.

We’d picked up everything and recorded it down,

From eye contact to the use of a proper noun.

After our review, Year Thirteen were set free,

Two minutes later, the bell went and so were we.