Academic News

News: FY Assembly on the French Revolution

21 January 2019

In Foundation Year History, the girls have been researching and studying the French Revolution - its causes, its effects and its results...

As an imaginative response, the students had to create a poem or song to help them to empathise with the people who suffered under the unjust system prior to the Revolution of 1789. The girls were keen to show their creations to the rest of Surval in assembly this morning and below is an example of one of their thought-provoking poems.


Your Cake

By Natalia and Annabelle

 

I awake to the cries of my children,  
starving,
because you must have your cake.

I work tirelessly for hours
only to give my small profits
to the church

I am tired of not having
enough food for my family, seeing
their faces drop when I come home
empty handed.

I can see your mansions in the distance.
no matter hard I work, they will never be
within my reach.
only in my dreams am
I allowed a glance at the
luxuries I pay for.

Your vast lands spread for miles,
only yours because of your name.

Despite our countless efforts
to rise above our rank,
you push as down because we have
earned our money and were not born
a socialite.

But now we are done.

We no longer will carry you
upon our backs, and will finally
be able to provide for those we love.

You will no longer have your cake.