Poetry Writing Workshop

        With the aim of introducing students to the elements of poetry and providing hands-on experience in writing a variety of poetry, the English Language Centre invited two prominent trainers, Emeritus Professor Dr. Malachi Edwin Vethamani and Associate Professor Dr. Too Wei Keong, to take students on a journey exploring the beauty of poetry in a 2-day workshop. The 16-hour workshop was held on the 8th and 9th of June. This workshop was conducted with the support of the Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay & Puan Sri Tan Kai Yong Aided ELC Teachers & Students Training Charitable Fund.

        Throughout the entire workshop, the trainers engaged the students with a series of tasks with a variety of objectives. At the start of the workshop, the trainers asked the students if they enjoyed reading poetry and if they have any favourite poets. They also shared a poem where they encouraged the students to give their personal responses towards the poem. Students were also given individual as well as pair tasks to produce haikus, rhyming poetry and more. They were introduced to different elements of poetry, and were asked to come up with examples for each element. The trainers also took the students outdoors, getting students engaged with their five senses and using that to bring their poetry to life. Many students produced beautifully phrased and artistic lines in their poetry. Here are some of the highlights:

‘She’s in the light; I live in the dark’ - Tan Ee Sea, J2 Washington

‘While the Tsunami retreats, escaping punishment’ - Lim Seng Qi, J2 Paris

‘Humans spreading seeds and love’ - Wendy Wong Qin Ying, J2 Vancouver

‘Blooming in the mud’ - Tsen Yun Xin, J2 Adelaide & Lim Swee Jing, S3 Manchester

‘Told the stars about you’ - Ong Yuan Ting, S3 Canberra

‘Books returned to their comfort’ - Gan Xin Ru, S3 Manchester

        All the participants gained a lot of insights into what it takes to write good poetry by participating in the reading, writing, discussion an
d sharing sessions, and broadened their understanding of the nuances in poetry. We look forward to seeing their beautifully crafted poems in our HinHua Love Reading E-zine, and anticipate reading more inspired poetry by all our students.

Lim Seng Qi (J2 Paris)

    I think the workshop was fun and interesting, as there were plenty of activities to do, for example writing on the mahjong paper collaboratively, observing the flowers in the garden and writing our own poems. I learned many techniques to write a good poem by using alliteration, onomatopoeia, hyperbole and more. The professors there were nice and also patient, and they took a lot of time to correct my poem mistakes and grammar problems. It is a shame that the workshop has ended, but I truly learned something useful for my lessons.

Ong Yuan Ting (S3 Canberra)

    I was looking forward to this workshop for months, as it was postponed due to the pandemic, and it exceeded my expectations. It was a very informative and valuable two days. The teachers were relaxed, extremely informative, humorous, patient, and considerate.  I really enjoyed the small group projects – especially as they were all lovely people and there were lots of brilliant ideas flying about. I have also learned to write poems based on different themes. I highly recommend the workshop to everyone who is trying to step out of their comfort zone, be open-minded to different views and give it a go.