Diary

Literature, and poetry in particular, is often met with mixed feelings by teenagers. Sometimes, they think it's an old-fashioned form of writing which doesn't have a lot in common with their lives. To challenge that misconception, we have faced students with poems written by some of the best English poets of all time, and we have challenged the students to find a connection between themselves and the poems. We have done this by identifying the themes in each poem, and then, by linking them to current aspects of people's lives. 

The students were then required to produce a piece of writing based on or inspired by the classic poem of their choice. 

The following diary was written by Javier Martín, Ángela Menéndez, Bárbara Recio and Alexandra de Witte.

September 1st

Dear Diary,

I’ve just returned from my holidays in Iceland, it’s good to be back home. I still needed time to disconnect, so I went to the bar. Everything seemed to be as usual but then I met Ezra. I’ve never clicked with someone as I did with him. We have so many things in common! We spent over an hour talking about how much we both love literature. We kissed and then…

Sepetmber 9th

Dear Diary,

Today was the first day of school, my senior year begins. You won’t believe what happened! I was entering my literature class when I saw there was a new teacher. Everyone was so excited about him, but for me it couldn’t be worse…It was him! He was also pretty surprised. We stared awkwardly at each other for about a minute, but then we had to act as if nothing had happened. It was quite an intense day…

September 16th

Dear Diary,

It has been a week since the first day of school and Ezra hasn’t talked to me yet. When we are in class he doesn’t even look at me! I don’t know if it is because I don’t matter to him or because we have to pretend we don’t know each other. I can’t stand this situation anymore. I’ve decided to talk to him face to face tomorrow.

September 20th

Dear Diary,

I’ve been so busy lately I forgot to tell you what happened the other day after I finally talked to Ezra. We came to the most logical solution, leave things like they should be: a relationship only as a teacher with his student. I was a little sad because I really liked him, but I had hope things were going to get better. It looks like my hope became true because today he asked me to get together after school with the excuse of talking about my work.

October 20th

Dear Diary,

I know I have been absent for a whole month but my head has been somewhere else. I feel like in cloud nine, I couldn’t be happier. It’s been two weeks since Ezra and I started dating. I hope everything stays as good as it is.

November 15th

Dear Diary;

We’ve been dating for over a month and a half. Things are more serious now, but it’s been difficult hiding it from my friends and family. This has become quite the problem because we can barely go out of his apartment. Although today it was different as it is my birthday! He took me to a fancy restaurant. Everything was going great until my friends showed up. I’m sure this is going to change our situation from now on, but I still don’t know how to face it, especially the issue concerning my friends.

November 18th

Dear Diary,

I am very upset, because it has been my first big fight with Ezra, and I’m not sure if we will be able to get over it. Everything was because of this stupid privacy. After my friends saw us in the restaurant, we discussed the possibility of telling them. I was really looking forward to sharing it with them, as they are my main support, and I was getting tired of keeping it all to myself. But when I proposed it to him, he lost his temper to the point when he started to scare me. I didn’t have the intention of accepting it, as it was a problem that really concerned me, so I stood up against him. The argument got out of control. I don’t have much hope of solving things between us. I wish none of this had ever happened.

December 24th,

Dear Diary,

Today is Christmas Eve, but I cannot focus on the good spirit of this holiday, as it has been more than a month since I broke up with Ezra and I last talked to him. It has been a very difficult time for me and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get over him 100%. The most annoying and upsetting thing of all, is that I can’t talk to anyone about it, all because of the stupid extra privacy. But at least I was able to express my feelings writing this poem inspired by my experience in this relationship.

When we two parted
In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted
To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold,
Colder thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold
Sorrow to this.
The dew of the morning
Sunk chill on my brow—
It felt like the warning
Of what I feel now.
Thy vows are all broken,
And light is thy fame:
I hear thy name spoken,
And share in its shame.
They name thee before me,
A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o'er me—
Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee,
Who knew thee too well:
Long, long shall I rue thee,
Too deeply to tell.
In secret we met—
In silence I grieve,
That thy heart could forget,
Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee
After long years,
How should I greet thee?
With silence and tears.

My heart will go on

Literature, and poetry in particular, is often met with mixed feelings by teenagers. Sometimes, they think it's an old-fashioned form of writing which doesn't have a lot in common with their lives. To challenge that misconception, we have faced students with poems written by some of the best English poets of all time, and we have challenged the students to find a connection between themselves and the poems. We have done this by identifying the themes in each poem, and then, by linking them to current aspects of people's lives. 
The students were then required to produce a piece of writing based on or inspired by the classic poem of their choice. 

Claudia Prieto, Sofía Pérez and Regina Salazar wrote a poem inspired by the following sonnet by Edmund Spenser:

Amoretti LXXV

Edmund Spenser (1552-1599)

One day I wrote her name upon the strand,

But came the waves and washed it away:

Again I wrote it with a second hand,

But came the tide, and made my pains his prey.

"Vain man," said she, "that dost in vain assay,

A mortal thing so to immortalize;

For I myself shall like to this decay,

And eke my name be wiped out likewise."

"Not so," (quod I) "let baser things devise

To die in dust, but you shall live by fame:

My verse your vertues rare shall eternize,

And in the heavens write your glorious name:

Where whenas death shall all the world subdue,

Our love shall live, and later life renew."

This is the poem written by our students on the themes of love and immortality:

MY HEART WILL GO ON

It’s been 84 years since his name drowned in you, harsh sea

since your waves washed away the only thing that mattered to me.

Everything that one day was, vanished with your foam

vain sea, why couldn’t you just have let us be?

Everything felt so real back then,

that it seems like you never left my side.

A mortal thing so to immortalize

that my love for you rises, like the moon helps the tide.

I refuse to accept the fact that you’re gone

and I know the eternal moon will bring us back together,

our memories are what makes my heart go on

and as your gaze, our love will last forever.

Project: ATOM

Literature, and poetry in particular, is often met with mixed feelings by teenagers. Sometimes, they think it's an old-fashioned form of writing which doesn't have a lot in common with their lives. To challenge that misconception, we have faced students with poems written by some of the best English poets of all time, and we have challenged the students to find a connection between themselves and the poems. We have done this by identifying the themes in each poem, and then, by linking them to current aspects of people's lives. 
The students were then required to produce a piece of writing based on or inspired by the classic poem of their choice. 

In this story, our students have used a Shakespearean sonnet as a springboard for a futuristic tale.

Written by Pablo Aznar, Alejandro Álvaro and Jaime López.

In the year 2617, human robotic technology has reached its peak in matters of advance and innovation. Robots are now essential in our daily lives, taking part in every aspect of it. Thanks to new AI technology, robots are becoming more and more independent from humans, being capable of thinking by themselves in some cases. Tecnicrea Enterprises, global leaders in robotics, with the collaboration of their head engineer and leader of the R&D department William Shakespeare, descendant of the famous writer, poet and playwright, are now developing an AI capable of being completely independent by thinking and acting by itself without human interaction or management. This project is called PROJECT: ATOM.

Diary of PROJECT: ATOM by William Shakespeare

Diary of William Shakespeare. 2.4.2617

The main development of the AI has been successfully completed after months of work, and has been attached to a robotic corpse of humanoid shape. This new AI is being tested in various situations and showed some programming errors. Further improvements in mobility and error and bug fixes are required.

Diary of William Shakespeare. 4.4.2617

The AI has finally finished his primary brain development and started to talk and make questions to itself, well…. himself now.

• Recording of conversation
• ATOM: Mr. William can I ask you a question?
• W.S: Just call me William. Of course, you can ask.
• ATOM: I would like to know what my name is, William?
• W:S: Your name is ATOM.
• ATOM: And why that name?
• …...

By asking why that name, he reminded me of a three year old asking his parents questions. He has also started to learn, and shows an astonishing ability to learn from every situation.

Diary of William Shakespeare. 8.6.2617

After months of tests and experiments, ATOM is now reacting to specific situations just like a human being would: improvising. He has also started to interact with various humans, apart from me, and also other robot companions in different situations.

He is now learning from our history and culture and is always asking questions about it. Luckily for me, a professional in human history helps me answer those questions caused by curiosity.

Diary of William Shakespeare. 15.8.2617

He has finally finished his ‘history class’ and when ending it he asked me

• Recording of conversation
• ATOM: William, why can human cruelty reach such levels? And afterwards make beauty and love?
• W.S: Never doubt humans in terms of cruelty. We can be cruel and kind and switch from one to the other in a matter of seconds.

At the same time as he was learning about our history, he also learned about writers and philosophers such as Kant, Aristotle and other important thinkers. And just like a philosopher would do, he started asking deeper questions about his life and purpose in it, just like a human being does in his midlife crisis.

• Recording
• ATOM: Why have I been created?.... What have I been created for?..... Why am I here?....... Am I doing the things I should?
• W.S: My dear ATOM, there is only one being in the universe that can answer those questions…
• ATOM: WHO IS HE? I NEED ANSWERS
• W.S: Only you can.

Diary of William Shakespeare. 30.11.2617

The part of the project of developing feelings has now started and after showing ATOM various videos, films and books he questioned me about them.

• Recording of conversation
• ATOM: William, why do people cry? How does it feel?
• W.S: There are several reasons why somebody would cry: happiness, sadness, euphoria…  love…
• ATOM: And what is love, WIlliam?
• W.S: Let me answer you that question with a sonnet written by one of my ancestors… Someone sang it to me when I was little and lovesick, this is how it goes...

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no; it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests, and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
  If this be error and upon me proved,
  I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

• ATOM: Is that a tear I see running down your face?
• W.S : May I ask you the same, my dear ATOM?

The Tragic Love Story of Byron

Literature, and poetry in particular, is often met with mixed feelings by teenagers. Sometimes, they think it's an old-fashioned form of writing which doesn't have a lot in common with their lives. To challenge that misconception, we have faced students with poems written by some of the best English poets of all time, and we have challenged the students to find a connection between themselves and the poems. We have done this by identifying the themes in each poem, and then, by linking them to current aspects of people's lives.
The students were then required to produce a piece of writing based on or inspired by the classic poem of their choice.

The story below was inspired by the following poem by Lord Byron:

When we two parted 
   In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted 
   To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold, 
   Colder thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold 
   Sorrow to this.

The dew of the morning 
   Sunk chill on my brow-- 
It felt like the warning
   Of what I feel now.
Thy vows are all broken, 
   And light is thy fame;
I hear thy name spoken, 
   And share in its shame.

They name thee before me, 
   A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o’er me--
   Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee, 
   Who knew thee too well--
Long, long shall I rue thee, 
   Too deeply to tell.

In secret we met--
   In silence I grieve,
That thy heart could forget, 
   Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee 
   After long years,
How should I greet thee?--
   With silence and tears.

This is the story:

The Tragic Love Story of Byron

By: Alicia Donoso, Andrea Muñoz, Loreto Niño and Marta Rubio

Byron was sitting at the bar of his favourite pub, which he was visiting too much. His glass was getting emptier and emptier, at the same time as his heart. It had become an iceberg- he didn’t think he was capable of feeling again. His lover was on her way to Australia, where she would meet her fiancé. She had abandoned him without even saying goodbye.

He was thinking about the moment of his return to his personal prison, where his wife would welcome him with her false and cold personality. Their marriage was bound for disaster right from the beginning. Divorce wasn’t an option as half of his company would be for his wife; and if he desired anything more than his own happiness, this would be making more money.

TWO YEARS LATER

Byron could no longer stand the situation. He had to get rid of the only thing that kept him attached to his wife-his company. He would sell it for the best price he could get and he would finally sign the divorce papers to be free, at last. He found the perfect buyer while on a business trip to Australia. Finally, the evening when he would buy his freedom had come. He had organised an event to celebrate the sale, he had invited some investors and the future owner of his company. He had to stay positive. It would be the last event in which he would have to pretend that his marriage was perfect.

Just as he arrived, he approached the buyer, who was accompanied by his wife. Just a few metres apart, he noticed something- that scent, that voice, that face wasn’t new to him. When he saw the look of perplexity on the face of the woman that had once been his lover, he realised he wasn’t living an amazing dream. The person who was just a few steps away was the woman who had stolen his heart and taken it to the end of the world, and now, by some dictation of destiny, had met him again that night.

He apologized with the excuse of going to the bathroom, and when he was there he wrote down the idea that had come to his mind on a paper napkin, which he slipped inside the bag of his beloved at the first opportunity. He watched her all night, aware of her every movement, until he saw her take the napkin out. Shortly after that she went out to the balcony to take some fresh air. That was his chance. He met her under the stars and both decided to run away, because they had never stopped loving each other.

At dawn, the couple took a flight bound for Menorca, where they would celebrate being able to be together in the end. However, a great threat loomed over them, as their spouses carefully planned their revenge.

Byron and his beloved were on the beach, celebrating their first month of freedom with an intimate, candlelit dinner. When they took the first bit, they lost consciousness… those who they had left had poisoned their food.

Their love had left them to disaster… and their short freedom could not be enjoyed.