The Lost Words

Year 6 have been looking at the book ‘The Lost Words’ by Robert MacFarlane during their English lessons. ‘The Lost Words’ is a book of spells describing vocabulary that has been banished from the Junior Oxford English Dictionary and replaced with more modern words such as ‘broadband’, ‘wifi’ and ‘selfie’.

Since reading ‘The Lost Words’, the pupils have been researching other words which have been removed and learned more about these interesting plants and animals.  Their final task was to find their favourite word, research it and write a poem all about the word using a thesaurus to enhance their vocabulary in an attempt to conjure these words back into their vocabulary.

Below are a couple of examples of the poems, one in the acrostic style used by Robert MacFarlane, written by the girls.

‘Ravens’

Atramentous the ravens may be,

Slate and sloe are the key,

To blending in with the adumbrations,

As it says in the ancient informations,

Death they mean in veteran stories,

But fun they have as they roll down corries,

As they aviate through the celestial sphere,

They grow throughout the lengthened year,

They propagate to 63cm on average,

These stubborn passerines wouldn’t respond to leverage,

Their sombre gleam throughout the night,

Their onyx feathers shielding against a smite,

Deed of the devils, the ancients did say,

But actually the ravens-they come here to play,

They gyrate down the hills-so presumptuous,

This deed they do is indubitably voluptuous.

By Honor Gravestock-Snee

‘Panther’ 
Panthera-pardus, night-predator. Prowling on the teeming leaves this prodigious mammal will start scowling. With the collage of onyx black fur it amalgams with the surrounding matter around her.

Apex predator, tree-leaper. Although this mammal might be diabolic yet elegant, she is strategic and intelligent. This midnight murderer surges through the entrenched branches and emerges into its head quarters.

Night-pussyfoot, tree-ninja. As you skim across the bed of leaves, the other animals will bustle forth via the thicket of trees.

This shadow-skulker, devious-creeper never flaws thanks to its retractable claws. The faded-leopard has rosettes so faint its like paint but you can’t distinguish.

Half hearted-mammal, tree-percher. Help! people would lament as the prepossessing  panther will decent them into their snug den and powerfully grind their gnashers into the persons blaring soul, these remarkable creatures could do this blind.

Evil is their middle name the selfish predators walk through the forest game. Their heavily padded feet will lumber around producing a resounding cacophony on the battleground.

Rambunctious-climber, devilish carnivore. Restless!

By Eva Sartin