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
The Wretched Trenches
Carmel College
Aged 14
Remember
St Bede's Lanchester
Aged 13
Remember
Carmel College
Aged 14
The Angel Smiles
St Bede's Lanchester
Aged 13
The Battle of Love
Carmel College
Aged 14
The Price of War
Carmel College
Aged 14
Deafening Silence
St Bede's Lanchester
Aged 13
War Poem
Carmel College
Aged 13
Those who fell…
Carmel College
Aged 14
Gone
St Bede's Lanchester
Aged 13
United They Stand
The Academy at Shotton Hall
Aged 14
The Poppy
St Bede's Lanchester
Aged 13
Disgraceful War
Carmel College
Aged 14
Living Room
Sedgefield Community College
Aged 14
War
Carmel RC College
Aged 13
A dark trench in the ground
Carmel College
Aged 13
War
Carmel College
Aged 13
World War 1 poem
Carmel College
Aged 13
My Life
Carmel RC college
Aged 13
War poem
Carmel College
Aged 13