Schools

Tennent Selects Poet Laureate

Senior Amanda Plaksin received the honor as part of Fine Arts Week.

Continuing its celebration of Fine Arts Week, William Tennent High School named senior Amanda Plaksin its poet laureate earlier this week.

Co-editor of the student newspaper and literary magazine, Plaksin has loved writing for as long as she can remember. Yet, she couldn't help being surprised when the announcement was made.

"I never thought my poetry was that good," Plaksin said. "I never submitted my poems for the contest before, but being a senior, I figured this year I would go for it. And this time I actually remembered to submit them before the deadline was up."

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Other students were also recognized for their writing efforts. Honor laurels were given to freshman Shannon Dowling, sophomore Shannon Gillespie, junior Allan Raya and senior Tim McGorrey. Sarah Cantymagli's poetry was selected for the Spirit of Kyle Quinn Award, named after a Tennent graduate who was killed in an attack at Kutztown University in 2007.

Plaksin, a lifetime Warminster resident, plans to take her love for writing to Temple University in the fall, where she will major in the communications department.

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"I'm not good at math, and I'm alright at science," she said. "But writing is definitely what I want to do."

Like any good writer, Plaksin doesn't waste a moment to jot an idea down. She keeps a notepad and pen by the bed, ready to go when inspiration comes during a dream.

"If I'm out and a good idea comes," she said. "I'll write as a text message on my phone, then retrieve it when I get home and explore the idea. I have notebooks and notebooks filled with poems and stories."

Plaksin's creativity extends beyond the written word. She will be on hand at Tennent's art showcase on Friday at 7:30 to display her photography and artwork.

The following is one of the three poems Plaksin submitted for consideration in the poet laureate search:

For Word’s Sake

Oh! I see the scribbled scansion on the page;

The cacophony of language we communicate.

How do we, for word’s sake,

Apprehend appropriately the way to appreciate.

 

Scantily skimming skipping stones across smooth surface;

Try to envision time wasted that’s worth it.

So many words put together have purpose;

An answer for meaning means inside you must search it.

 

Prose is the troll that rolls off the tongue after its lunch,

Wondering what form of voice it came from.

Swimming in the smoke of bridges burnt,

Smoldered ashes of knowledge once learned.

 

Rhyme is the crime behind bars in the jail,

Lock our bodies up but spirits prevail;

Pattern neatly followed, almost an accurate model

Of exactly how hard we try and we fail.


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