ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ

The "Off By Heart" competition is for 7 to 11 year olds. Each school nominates one of their pupils to perform a poem at regional heats, the winners of those heats go forward to compete in the National Final next year.

One of the schools taking part in Yorkshire is Nun Monkton Primary School near York. We asked three of the pupils at the school to tell us what they've been learning.

Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion

Gabriel (aged 9)

I didn't really know much about poetry until we were asked to recite a poem for a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ competition. The poem I chose was called β€˜Leisure’ by William Henry Davies.

I learnt this poem by sticking it on the wall and looked at it every day. I would memorise a few lines every day and read them out to my mum, adding a few more each day until I knew the whole poem off by heart.

The reason I like this poem so much is that I could really visualise scenes in my mind. I liked the way the poet’s words kept you interested and how he thinks we should notice the many beautiful things we look at every day and how we should look at what goes on around us.

After reading this poem I know that poetry will always make me think.

George (aged 10)

I like poetry because it can be funny as well as exciting. When we took part in the Off By Heart poetry competition we had to remember a poem. I read one about a fat pig. It made me laugh and was interesting because it was about farm animals.

My favourite poet is Roald Dahl because he writes about weird things like the mustard on your pudding and custard on your dinner. I also like Colin McNaughton because he draws funny cartoons that go with what the poem is about, like a skinny boy with really big arm muscles. Also, there is a poem about a fat baby that says β€œDon’t put sugar in my tea, mum, I’m already too fat so that’s enough of that”.

To learn my poem, I practiced two lines at a time every day then after a week, I put them all together and read the whole thing again and again.

Joshua (aged 10)

I like poems with a rhyme,
Words that I can easily mime.

The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ's "Off By Heart" competition.

Limericks are lots of fun
But I don’t have a favourite one.

Haikus are quite tricky though,
Different syllables in each row.

Lots of poets are really great
But the one that is first rate

Is Edward Lear (who wasn’t mad)
But wrote funny things for me and dad.

He thought of the Owl and the Pussy Cat
And wrote the Quangle Wangle’s Hat.

I like silly verses, yes, I do
About pirates, dragons and carrots too.

I like nonsense poems that don’t mean a thing
Where rhymes sound so lovely you just want to sing.

On serious stuff I’m not very keen
I’d rather have fun or something scary and mean.

When you learn a poem off by heart
It is quite difficult in part

To learn the lines of a poem that’s long –
You’re more likely to get stuff wrong.

Give me a short one any day,
I’ll learn it quite quick and anyway

I’ll even read it out aloud
Without a rhyme – I am not proud!

The thoughts of the pupils of Nun Monkton Primary School about their participation in the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ's "Off By Heart" competition. The National finals take place during the Oxford Literature Festival next year.