In the MFL poetry competition last Friday, I was introduced to many languages and most of all I learned about how to recite a poem, not just how to say it. I learned how to tell a story with the script, even if people did not understand the language I spoke.

I first recited ‘Si’ by the French poet Jean-Luc Moreau in the year nine French section. This poem explored the ideas of an upside-down world. I then, in the bilingual section, recited the poem ‘君死にたまふことなかれ’, ​’Don’t lay down your life’, by Yasano Akiko. This poem was written over 100 years ago during Russo-Japanese war 1904 -1905 by a female poet when women had no voice to exercise, and when the Japanese citizen was not allowed to criticize the Emperor’s decisions. In this poem, Akiko Yasano mourns the loss of a precious life, her younger brother, which tends to be forgotten, during a broader war. This poem is very famous in Japan and all school children learn this poem as a part of their modern history curriculum.

I very much enjoyed learning both poems, especially ‘Don’t lay down your life’ as it is a poem which is found deep in the culture of Japan, so I felt honoured to have the chance to recite it. Overall, it was a very joyous experience which I think everyone involved can learn from.

Mika, Year 9