The Northern Echo's Schools' Poetry Competition
The Northern Echo appealed to all secondary schools in the region to get involved and to get their pupils writing a poem to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.
The war inspired some of the greatest poems in the English language and it was the current generation's turn to put their thoughts and feelings in words.
The winner, 14-year-old Olivia Skilbeck was chosen by a panel of experts and received the latest iPad. The top ten poems were included in a special edition of The Northern Echo published on Remembrance Sunday – November 9.
Click here to read Olivia's poem, Blood on the Battlefield, along with work by the other finalists.The competition, which is now closed to entries received a huge response from schools across the region and you can read their poems below.
Click on the title to read the full poem
Goodbye
Carmel College
Aged 14
Bang Bang
Sedgefield Community College
Aged 11
The Sorrow Soldier
Carmel RC College
Aged 11
RIP
Polam Hall School
Aged 10
Victory
Polam Hall School
Aged 10
Endless War
Polam Hall School
Aged 10
Soldier
Carmel College
Aged 11
Where Were You?
Polam Hall School
Aged 10
My Dear
Polam Hall School
Aged 10
A poem about a soldier in the world war
carmel college
Aged 11
War Death
Carmel College
Aged 11
Muddy Trench
Polam Hall School
Aged 10
Homesick
Polam Hall School
Aged 10
WW1 POEM
Carmel College
Aged 11
Bombs
Polam Hall School
Aged 10
Unforgetable
Carmel College
Aged 14
By a Hair
St Bede's Lanchester
Aged 13
Fossa Militiae
Carmel College
Aged 14
Wishing for another chance
The Academy of Shotton Hall
Aged 12
The Battle of Love
Carmel College
Aged 14