Poetry for Everyone: How Public Transport Can Carry Art | Matilda Houston-Brown | TEDxStoke

I think everyone has a poem waiting for

I think everyone has a poem waiting for them my little brother

them my little brother

them my little brother one of my biggest inspirations for my

one of my biggest inspirations for my

one of my biggest inspirations for my poetry is a reader

poetry is a reader

poetry is a reader he has devoured fantasy adventure

he has devoured fantasy adventure

he has devoured fantasy adventure anything with epic battles with a hero

anything with epic battles with a hero

anything with epic battles with a hero inevitably wins and saves the day you

inevitably wins and saves the day you

inevitably wins and saves the day you would never find him reading a book of

would never find him reading a book of

would never find him reading a book of Byron but that does not mean he is not a

Byron but that does not mean he is not a

Byron but that does not mean he is not a lover of poetry a few years ago I

lover of poetry a few years ago I

lover of poetry a few years ago I introduced him to the classic poem

introduced him to the classic poem

introduced him to the classic poem Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley a

Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley a

Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley a short poem filled with time and pharaohs

short poem filled with time and pharaohs

short poem filled with time and pharaohs and stretching horizons he loved it now

and stretching horizons he loved it now

and stretching horizons he loved it now maybe this will be the only poem he ever

maybe this will be the only poem he ever

maybe this will be the only poem he ever enjoys I hope not but it could be but

enjoys I hope not but it could be but

enjoys I hope not but it could be but that is not the important thing there is

that is not the important thing there is

that is not the important thing there is a poem he connects to that is part of

a poem he connects to that is part of

a poem he connects to that is part of him my point is that inside everyone

him my point is that inside everyone

him my point is that inside everyone there is a space for poetry and everyone

there is a space for poetry and everyone

there is a space for poetry and everyone you know has a poem waiting for them up

you know has a poem waiting for them up

you know has a poem waiting for them up until National Poetry day of this year I

until National Poetry day of this year I

until National Poetry day of this year I was the young Staffordshire and

was the young Staffordshire and

was the young Staffordshire and stoke-on-trent poet laureate I with the

stoke-on-trent poet laureate I with the

stoke-on-trent poet laureate I with the help of my local bus company first bus

help of my local bus company first bus

help of my local bus company first bus managed to get local young people’s

managed to get local young people’s

managed to get local young people’s poetry on a bus route I think it’s my

poetry on a bus route I think it’s my

poetry on a bus route I think it’s my job and the job of every avid poetry fan

job and the job of every avid poetry fan

job and the job of every avid poetry fan to get a disinterested to find their

to get a disinterested to find their

to get a disinterested to find their favorite poet because I think it’s fair

favorite poet because I think it’s fair

favorite poet because I think it’s fair to say that there are a lot of people

to say that there are a lot of people

to say that there are a lot of people who are quick to state that they don’t

who are quick to state that they don’t

who are quick to state that they don’t like poetry they associate it with

like poetry they associate it with

like poetry they associate it with stuffy stanzas crammed with archaic

stuffy stanzas crammed with archaic

stuffy stanzas crammed with archaic vocab or wordy nonsense and I suppose

vocab or wordy nonsense and I suppose

vocab or wordy nonsense and I suppose there are some poems with all of those

there are some poems with all of those

there are some poems with all of those things there is poetry that can distance

things there is poetry that can distance

things there is poetry that can distance people and there are poems that make

people and there are poems that make

people and there are poems that make poetry seem like a far-off grandiose

poetry seem like a far-off grandiose

poetry seem like a far-off grandiose thing that no one normal or ordinary

thing that no one normal or ordinary

thing that no one normal or ordinary could possibly understand

could possibly understand

could possibly understand but I’m pretty normal and I’m obsessed

but I’m pretty normal and I’m obsessed

but I’m pretty normal and I’m obsessed with the stuff I want you to imagine a

with the stuff I want you to imagine a

with the stuff I want you to imagine a wedding or a funeral any big ceremony

wedding or a funeral any big ceremony

wedding or a funeral any big ceremony that means something huge in someone’s

that means something huge in someone’s

that means something huge in someone’s life and see a speaker a family member

life and see a speaker a family member

life and see a speaker a family member or a friend and see how they stand up

or a friend and see how they stand up

or a friend and see how they stand up and read a poem and then people listen

and read a poem and then people listen

and read a poem and then people listen and they listen because they feel that

and they listen because they feel that

and they listen because they feel that is the place for poetry poetry is

is the place for poetry poetry is

is the place for poetry poetry is important at the big stages in your life

important at the big stages in your life

important at the big stages in your life it is used to put into words the high

it is used to put into words the high

it is used to put into words the high emotions that people feel but it is also

emotions that people feel but it is also

emotions that people feel but it is also needed in our average boring dull

needed in our average boring dull

needed in our average boring dull everyday in our school PE lesson this is

everyday in our school PE lesson this is

everyday in our school PE lesson this is from a poem by Wendy cope when we pick

from a poem by Wendy cope when we pick

from a poem by Wendy cope when we pick teams for outdoor games she and I were

teams for outdoor games she and I were

teams for outdoor games she and I were always the last two left standing by the

always the last two left standing by the

always the last two left standing by the wire mesh fence from tips Miller or when

wire mesh fence from tips Miller or when

wire mesh fence from tips Miller or when you’re out in the country this is from

you’re out in the country this is from

you’re out in the country this is from blackberry picking by the wonderful

blackberry picking by the wonderful

blackberry picking by the wonderful muddy Irish poet the great Seamus Heaney

muddy Irish poet the great Seamus Heaney

muddy Irish poet the great Seamus Heaney then read one’s ink top and that hunger

then read one’s ink top and that hunger

then read one’s ink top and that hunger sent us out with milk cans P tins jam

sent us out with milk cans P tins jam

sent us out with milk cans P tins jam pots and it is also when you’re out

pots and it is also when you’re out

pots and it is also when you’re out shopping the fat black woman goes

shopping the fat black woman goes

shopping the fat black woman goes shopping by grace nickels perfectly

shopping by grace nickels perfectly

shopping by grace nickels perfectly captures what so many of us feel when we

captures what so many of us feel when we

captures what so many of us feel when we go out to buy a pair of jeans it is in

go out to buy a pair of jeans it is in

go out to buy a pair of jeans it is in the mundane that’s often we find the

the mundane that’s often we find the

the mundane that’s often we find the truth the use of poetry at these huge

truth the use of poetry at these huge

truth the use of poetry at these huge ceremonies makes many feel as if it is a

ceremonies makes many feel as if it is a

ceremonies makes many feel as if it is a medium only for the big issues for the

medium only for the big issues for the

medium only for the big issues for the special occasions and we have to be

special occasions and we have to be

special occasions and we have to be careful not to make poetry a chore for

careful not to make poetry a chore for

careful not to make poetry a chore for example the English and Welsh GCSE

example the English and Welsh GCSE

example the English and Welsh GCSE poetry exam that students usually take

poetry exam that students usually take

poetry exam that students usually take at the age of 16 has recently changed

at the age of 16 has recently changed

at the age of 16 has recently changed now we are forced to memorize fifteen

now we are forced to memorize fifteen

now we are forced to memorize fifteen poems

poems

poems we quotation from 15 poems and for some

we quotation from 15 poems and for some

we quotation from 15 poems and for some students this may be enjoyable but for

students this may be enjoyable but for

students this may be enjoyable but for the majority what sure it takes away the

the majority what sure it takes away the

the majority what sure it takes away the enjoyment and most importantly it takes

enjoyment and most importantly it takes

enjoyment and most importantly it takes away the free choice and I think that’s

away the free choice and I think that’s

away the free choice and I think that’s terrible

terrible

terrible because for me anyway poetry’s main

because for me anyway poetry’s main

because for me anyway poetry’s main objective is to communicate my first

objective is to communicate my first

objective is to communicate my first favorite poem when I was very little

favorite poem when I was very little

favorite poem when I was very little while some dark by Ted Hughes it isn’t a

while some dark by Ted Hughes it isn’t a

while some dark by Ted Hughes it isn’t a poem the suggestive the problems of the

poem the suggestive the problems of the

poem the suggestive the problems of the world and it isn’t a poem that makes you

world and it isn’t a poem that makes you

world and it isn’t a poem that makes you cry it is a poem as the title suggests

cry it is a poem as the title suggests

cry it is a poem as the title suggests about a dark and why did I love it and

about a dark and why did I love it and

about a dark and why did I love it and connect to it so much because it

connect to it so much because it

connect to it so much because it reminded me of my duck because when I

reminded me of my duck because when I

reminded me of my duck because when I say communicate I don’t mean preach I

say communicate I don’t mean preach I

say communicate I don’t mean preach I mean that someone could read a little

mean that someone could read a little

mean that someone could read a little snapshot of something a relationship or

snapshot of something a relationship or

snapshot of something a relationship or a friendship Valentine by Carol Ann

a friendship Valentine by Carol Ann

a friendship Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy about perfect authentic love I

Duffy about perfect authentic love I

Duffy about perfect authentic love I give you an onion or a wait for a phone

give you an onion or a wait for a phone

give you an onion or a wait for a phone call come on damn you ring me or a

call come on damn you ring me or a

call come on damn you ring me or a primary school class the scent of a

primary school class the scent of a

primary school class the scent of a pencil slowly carefully shaved that’s

pencil slowly carefully shaved that’s

pencil slowly carefully shaved that’s why I decided to get poetry on the buses

why I decided to get poetry on the buses

why I decided to get poetry on the buses because poetry provides empathy and in a

because poetry provides empathy and in a

because poetry provides empathy and in a world that we so cruel and hateful and

world that we so cruel and hateful and

world that we so cruel and hateful and sad don’t we all need a little more

sad don’t we all need a little more

sad don’t we all need a little more empathy buses aren’t glittering or

empathy buses aren’t glittering or

empathy buses aren’t glittering or spectacular they don’t have the wow

spectacular they don’t have the wow

spectacular they don’t have the wow factor

factor

factor but they’re useful useful and I think

but they’re useful useful and I think

but they’re useful useful and I think important too but I didn’t want to get

important too but I didn’t want to get

important too but I didn’t want to get any type of poetry on the buses

any type of poetry on the buses

any type of poetry on the buses I wanted young people’s poetry local

I wanted young people’s poetry local

I wanted young people’s poetry local young people’s poetry so with the help

young people’s poetry so with the help

young people’s poetry so with the help of my fantastic school I managed to

of my fantastic school I managed to

of my fantastic school I managed to organize a countywide competition called

organize a countywide competition called

organize a countywide competition called the young Staffordshire stanza and the

the young Staffordshire stanza and the

the young Staffordshire stanza and the 15 fine was from that competition of

15 fine was from that competition of

15 fine was from that competition of their poetry and the number 18 boss this

their poetry and the number 18 boss this

their poetry and the number 18 boss this is a quote from a poem by

is a quote from a poem by

is a quote from a poem by and finalists called a grade-a because

and finalists called a grade-a because

and finalists called a grade-a because poetry not only provides empathy but a

poetry not only provides empathy but a

poetry not only provides empathy but a sense of belonging a sense of community

sense of belonging a sense of community

sense of belonging a sense of community and beautiful things written by local

and beautiful things written by local

and beautiful things written by local teenagers makes people proud of their

teenagers makes people proud of their

teenagers makes people proud of their area but also proud of the people in

area but also proud of the people in

area but also proud of the people in their area it’s just one bus route in

their area it’s just one bus route in

their area it’s just one bus route in just one place but it’s not there to

just one place but it’s not there to

just one place but it’s not there to make an explosion it’s there so maybe

make an explosion it’s there so maybe

make an explosion it’s there so maybe just maybe a person who has said they

just maybe a person who has said they

just maybe a person who has said they hate poetry could stop and think well I

hate poetry could stop and think well I

hate poetry could stop and think well I quite like that maybe because of that

quite like that maybe because of that

quite like that maybe because of that that person could continue to read

that person could continue to read

that person could continue to read poetry all sorts of different poets and

poetry all sorts of different poets and

poetry all sorts of different poets and styles and eras and love every single

styles and eras and love every single

styles and eras and love every single one of them maybe not maybe I’ve just

one of them maybe not maybe I’ve just

one of them maybe not maybe I’ve just made someone’s bush doing a little more

made someone’s bush doing a little more

made someone’s bush doing a little more interesting but that’s pretty good too

interesting but that’s pretty good too

interesting but that’s pretty good too thank you

thank you

thank you [Applause]

[Applause]

[Applause] you