Ryde Eisteddfod Speech Set Works 2017
(page# 1) ....... 528A - 6 years & under
(page# 2) ....... 528B - 7 yrs only
(page# 3) ....... 528C - 8 yrs only
(page# 4) ....... 528D - 9 yrs only
(page# 5) ....... 528E - 10 yrs only
(page# 6) ....... 528F - 11 yrs only
(page# 7) ....... 528G - 12 yrs only
(page# 8) ....... 529A - 8 yrs & under restricted
(page# 9) ....... 529B - 9-10 yrs & under restricted
(page# 10) … 529C - 11-12 yrs only restricted
(page# 11) ..... 501A - Infants Choir
(page# 12) ..... 501B - Primary Choir
(page# 13) ..... 510A - Junior Rotary Scholarship
(page# 14) ..... 510B - Senior Rotary Scholarship
(page# 15) ..... 522 - Prose Readings
SECTION 528
6 YRS/UNDER
Now wouldn’t it be funny
by Pixie O’Harris
Now, wouldn’t it be funny
If the creatures in the Zoo,
Were all let out to walk about
And look at me and you?
And wouldn’t it be funny
If they put us in the cages,
And Kangaroos and Cockatoos
Came guessing at our ages.
And wouldn’t it be funny if the Hip-O-Pot-amus
Said, “Don’t go near, I really fear
They’re very dangerous.”
page 1
SECTION 528
Evening
7YEARS
by
Colin Thiele
I like to see
At end of day
The setting sun’s
Last shining ray;
And hear the note
A late bird sings
As shadows fall
Like folding wings;
And see this gift
Of priceless worthA gentle place
Upon the earth.
page 2
EITHER
OR
SECTION 528
The Pool in the Rock
9 YEARS
By Walter de la Mare
In this water, clear as air,
Lurks a lobster in its lair.
Rock-bound weed sways out and in,
Coral-red, and bottle green.
Wondrous pale anemones
Stir like flowers in a breeze:
Fluted scallop, whelk in shell,
And the prowling mackerel.
Winged with snow the sea-mews ride
The brine-keen wind; and far and wide
Sounds on the hollow thunder of the tide.
page 4
SECTION 528
10 YEARS
School-Bell
by
Eleanor Farjeon
Nine-o'clock Bell!
Nine-o'clock Bell!
All the small children and big ones as well,
Pulling their stockings up, snatching their hats,
Cheeking and grumbling and giving back-chats,
Laughing and quarreling, dropping their things,
These at a snail's pace and those upon wings,
Lagging behind a bit, running ahead,
Waiting at corners for lights to turn red,
Some of them scurrying,
Others not worrying,
Carelessly trudging or anxiously hurrying,
All through the streets they are coming pell-mell
At the Nine-o'clock
Nine-o'clock
Nine-o'clock
Bell !
page 5
Section 528
11Years
To Daffodils
by Robert Herrick
Fair Daffodils, we weep to see
You haste away so soon;
As yet the early-rising sun
Has not attain'd his noon.
Stay, stay,
Until the hasting day
Has run
But to the even-song;
And, having pray'd together, we
Will go with you along.
We have short time to stay, as you,
We have as short a spring;
As quick a growth to meet decay,
As you, or anything.
We die
As your hours do, and dry
Away,
Like to the summer's rain;
Or as the pearls of morning's dew,
Ne'er to be found again.
page 6
SECTION 528
12 YEARS
The God of Sheep
by John Fletcher
All ye woods, and trees, and bowers,
All ye virtues and ye powers
That inhabit in the lakes,
In the pleasant springs or brakes,
Move your feet
To our sound,
Whilst we greet
All this ground
With his honour and his name
That defends our flocks from blame.
He is great, and he is just,
He is ever good, and must
Thus be honoured. Daffodillies,
Roses, pinks and lovèd lilies
Let us fling,
Whilst we sing,
Ever holy,
Ever holy,
Ever honoured, ever young!
Thus great Pan is ever sung.
page 7
SECTION 529
8 YEARS & under
Restricted Verse
Rainforest Song
by
Libby Hathorn
(After a boat trip down the Franklin River in Tasmania)
Oh don’t bring down
the ancient pine,
the breath of life
that’s yours and mine!
Don’t tear it out
saw it down,
gouge it, chop it,
let it drown.
Don’t fell the tree
that’s stood so long,
leave bird and bush
where they belong.
Leave the forest,
green gold place,
the glow of hope
on this earth’s
old face.
page 8
SECTION 529
9-10 YEARS & under
Restricted
Shark
by Geoffrey Dutton
Sometimes when the shallow water is clear and green
A long and steadily moving shape is seen,
And the whole bright bay suddenly grows dark,
And swimmers rush for the shore at the cry of ‘Shark!’
Porpoises bounce cheerfully up and down
But sharks go grimly straight, as if a frown
Was above the horrible grin I cannot see,
And those little eyes were glaring straight at me.
Lazily the dark shape turns, to disappear
Above the weed, and the sea is full of fear.
No thank you, just now I haven’t any wish
To swim, or even to launch the boat to fish.
page 9
529C - 11-12 yrs only restricted
Magpies
Along the road the magpies walk
With hands in pockets, left and right.
They tilt their heads, and stroll and talk.
In their well-fitted black and white
they look like certain gentlemen
who seem most nonchalant and wise
until their meal is served - and then
what clashing beaks, what greedy eyes!
But not one man that I have heard
Throws back his head in such a song
Of grace and praise - no man nor bird.
Their greed is brief; their joy is long.
For each is born with such a throat
As thanks his God with every note.
Judith Wright
page 10
SECTION 501 Verse Speaking – Infants
Full Moon
by Robin Klein
At times of full moon—
I wish I knew why—
I get this strange yearning
to howl at the sky!
For reasons peculiar
I’ve not yet discovered,
the backs of my hands then
with fur become covered!
My fingernails lengthen,
my hands look like… paws!
I feel a compulsion
to walk on all fours!
My eyes redly glimmer,
hair sprouts from my ears,
fang-like my teeth grow,
with points sharp as spears!
Though normally fussy
about what I eat—
on nights when the moon’s full,
I crave RAW RED MEAT!
page 11
SECTION 501 Verse Speaking – Primary
Adventures of Isabel
by Ogden Nash
Isabel met an enormous bear,
Isabel, Isabel, didn't care;
The bear was hungry, the bear was ravenous,
The bear's big mouth was cruel and cavernous.
The bear said, Isabel, glad to meet you,
How do, Isabel, now I'll eat you!
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry.
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She washed her hands and she straightened her hair up,
Then Isabel quietly ate the bear up.
Once in a night as black as pitch
Isabel met a wicked old witch.
the witch's face was cross and wrinkled,
The witch's gums with teeth were sprinkled.
Ho, ho, Isabel! the old witch crowed,
I'll turn you into an ugly toad!
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry,
Isabel didn't scream or scurry,
She showed no rage and she showed no rancor,
But she turned the witch into milk and drank her.
Isabel met a hideous giant,
Isabel continued self reliant.
The giant was hairy, the giant was horrid,
He had one eye in the middle of his forhead.
Good morning, Isabel, the giant said,
I'll grind your bones to make my bread.
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry,
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She nibled the zwieback that she always fed off,
And when it was gone, she cut the giant's head off.
Isabel met a troublesome doctor,
He punched and he poked till he really shocked her.
The doctor's talk was of coughs and chills
And the doctor's satchel bulged with pills.
The doctor said unto Isabel,
Swallow this, it will make you well.
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry,
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She took those pills from the pill concocter,
And Isabel calmly cured the doctor.
page 12
SECTION 510 – Junior Rotary Scholarship
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
by William Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
page 13
And I guess Australia, we’re stuck with
it!
And I said, “hey, Australia’
I’m an ozzie too
…just like you
Fair dinkum ridgy didge a dinky die
true blue
It’s a fact of history
There’s nothing we can do.
And, Australia,
Whilst I’ve got your attention
I’m a poet
That’s right
A poet
I write, I read, I perform, I entertain
I earn my living by poeting
No. no other job
No. not unemployment benefits
A full time writer
A poet with a mortgage
And a wife, and kids
And gas bills, and a tax file number
Just like you
Hey, Australia
We need each other
You need me, and I need you
SECTION 521
Senior Rotary
Scholarship
15
Years and Over
Nobody calls me a wog
anymore
by Komninos Zervos
Nobody calls me a wog anymore
I’m respected as an Australian
An Australian writer
A poet.
But
It didn’t just happen
I had to assert myself
As an Australian
As an artist
Stand up and scream it
Point the finger accusingly
Thump my fist demandingly
Asset my identity
Say, ‘hey!’
“Aus tra li a!’
‘Look at me!’
‘Whether you like it or not
I am one of you.’
I give as much as I take
And I’ve given and taken a lot
And I’ll take as much as I can
And I’ll give as much as I’ve got.
Hey, Australia
Let’s have a beer
And hey Australia I like you lots
Since you stopped calling me
‘Me wog mate Kevin’
And started calling me
‘The Australian poet, Komninos!’
And I said, ‘Australia, hey!’
‘You can call me Komninos!’
That’s right!’
KOMNINOS
K.O.M.N.I.N.O.S.
Yes, that’s right, it’s a Greek name
Yes, that’s right, there’s no English
translation
Yes, that’s right, it’s my first name
Yes, that’s right, it’s rather unusual
But
That’s my name
page 14
Ryde Eisteddfod 2017
Section 522
8 years
the World
Prose Reading
The Magic Faraway Tree
or
Enid Blyton
10 years
Seagull
Danny the Champion of
Roald Dahl
The Jungle Book
or
Rudyard Kipling
Jonathon Livingstone
Richard Bach
12 years
Seven Little Australians
Ethel Turner
or
Dad and Dave
Steele Rudd
14 years
The Wooden Horse
Eric Williams
or
Little Women
Louisa M Alcott
15 years
/over
A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens
or
The King Must Die
Mary Renault
page 15