Ben
Johnson, John Donne, Michael Drayton, William Shakespeare.
These were the greatest poets in England if not the world in their day, they are all linked
with Polesworth along with Sir Henry Goodere and Sir Aston Cockayne at Polesworth Abbey and Pooley Hall respectively. - and
it is this heritage that the poetry trail builds upon.
Why Polesworth?
Building on traditions
Polesworth town’s layout is conducive to a trail.
Provides a tourist attraction that is not imposing.
Why Poetry?
Major part of the towns heritage.
Provides a basis for continuing these traditions.
Compliments the Poetry on Loan Scheme In the Library
A poetry trail
Promotes Poetry in all forms through the permanent displays around the town.
Both local people and visitors are encouraged to follow the trail and to view the poems and their settings.
A poetry trail should be a hook to attract visitors to the area who would not otherwise have come.
A poetry trail should be unimposing, such that finding the poems is an act of discovery and also does not preach
to those whose interests may lie elsewhere.
A poetry trail should belong to the town and it’s people and be something that they are proud to promote.
Each poem should enhance the setting by making the reader think about its context within the landscape.
The trail should form a foundation for other Arts and Literature activities in the town and should be an educational
aid for poetry in the national curriculum.
A trail does not need to be static in the sense that some poems may be presented in a form that can be changed
from time to time.
The Polesworth PoetS Trail combines both town and country park and most importantly it will be totally new unpublished
poetry from poets both local and national.
So
moving on to the trail itself and the location.
The exact
sites on the route have yet to be determined, but the route will run from Polesworth Abbey through the town on to the canal
and then on up to Pooley Country Park Visitors centre - then on to the top of the mound at the Park.
This phase
of the project is funded to build the Town part of the project.
1.Poems in
the sensory garden
2.Poems
in the town
3.Poems along
the canal
4.Poems at
Pooley
The aim is to create some new poetry from local and national poets.
Some which explore their setting and enhance the experience of the place
The Poems
Some building on the poetry traditions of Polesworth either as modern interpretations to sit along side the
original
Or using the techniques of the earlier poets to create new poetry.
Some of the poems will be fixed permanent installations, others will be changeable allowing for annual competitions
and to keep the trail fresh, such that visitors would want to come back.
We will be running poetry workshops to help people hone their skills and also making a nationwide call to poets
to submit entries for consideration.
These will be shortlisted by a panel and the people most closely associated with the site will choose the final
poem.
We need to build a trail that has integrity and therefore ensure that the poems are suitable in terms of quality
and also accessibility of language.
The poems should seek to enhance their setting and not merely describe it.
Chosen Poets will receive a financial stipend.
What sort
of themes do we expect.
What ever
is deemed appropriate for the location.
The poem should relate to the location
“ the
experience of place”.
For example through
Events that happened at the place
Current activities that happen at the place
The places name
People associated with the place.
The Atmosphere of the place
An object in the place
The significance of the place.
Some places may have more than one theme.
Displaying the poems
They could be complete poems or a few lines from a poem.
Displayed on materials that will not deteriorate easily due to the weather
Such as:
Plagues or enclosed posters
Tiles
Glass
Sculptures
Benches
Installations
Time frame
The Project is called Ppst - and comes from Polesworth Poets Trail.
Phase 1 through
the town - Starts July 2008 with completion December 2009.
