Silver Lining, a poem by Mehak Soin

Mehak Soin, a Year 4 student at Melbourne Girls Grammar, has won ISV’s  Student Poetry Competition in the Years 3-4 section for her poem, Silver Lining.

The competition, part of our Arts Learning Festival, was open to students from all school sectors, and attracted more than 300 entries.

Announcing the winners, ISV Chief Executive Michelle Green said she was impressed by the creative confidence and optimism of the poems.

‘They have drawn on nature, natural disasters and personal experience to find strength and confidence in extremely difficult times,’ Ms Green said.

This is what the judges said about Mehak’s poem:

A sincere and hopeful ode to the pandemic. The short phrases and crispness of language engage and inspire.

You can watch Mehak read the poem in the video below, and read it for yourself, along with the students awarded honourable mentions in the category for their outstanding work.

Every day this week, we’ll be sharing videos of our winners reciting their poems.

You can watch our winner in the Prep-Year 2 category, Adele Bilney, reading her poem, Winter, by clicking here.

Felicity van Rensburg, winner in the Years 5-6, reading her poem, After the Fire, by clicking here.

Ravin Rathnayake, winner in the Years 7-8 category, reading his poem, by clicking here.

Haelie Roberts, winner in the Years 9-10, reading her poem, Hope in a Whistle, by clicking here.

Derek Villaceran, winner in the Years 11-12 category, reading his poem, Summer Longings, by clicking here.

You can also find full result details in the news section of the Arts Learning Festival website.