It would be nice to be

a fullstop

standing

at each line

stopping all the naughty words

from running away

I’m glad I’m a fullstop

but I don’t know why.

Justine sutton

Fullstop” comes from an excellent batch of poems which developed out of literacy hour work on different punctuation marks. Using the technique of speaking in a persona, which we’ve seen twice already this term, Justine’s poem could be read as a witty comment about restraint, which needs to stop “all the naughty wordsfrom running away”.

I like the fact that the poem starts with “It would be nice to be...”, yet closes with a statement “I’m glad I’m a...”. It’s clear a transformation has taken place. But where? The two sentences are not separated by a fullstop, the poem’s subject, which has been sparingly used only once. This draws attention to itself, while offering the reader no easy answers.

anthony wilson

joel chant TES FRIDAY march 5 1999 Justine Sutton, aged 10, receives ‘Classic Poetry’ selected by Michael Rosen (Walker Books). Submitted by Megan Jenkins of Kelvedon Hatch County Primary School, Brentwood, Essex, who receives a set of Poetry Society posters with teacher’s notes. Please send students’ poems to ‘TES’ Young Poet, Admiral House, 66-68 East Smithfield, London E1 9XY. Anthony Wilson is Poetry Society poet-in-residence for primary education, and the author of ‘How Far From Here Is Home?’ (Stride) and co-author of ‘The Poetry Book for Primary Schools’ (Poetry Society) Justine Sutton