Poets Corner

 By: Cassie Green

When we arrived in England, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I had been to England before with my grandmother when I was really young—11 or 12 perhaps—and I was worried that it would be different than how I remembered it.

          Well, it was different—but different in the greatest possible way. I didn’t realize how much I was missing out on as a kid until I toured around England a second time. When I went the first time, I saw all the typical stuff—big Ben, the London Eye, Oxford—and as a kid, none of these things fully registered with me. However, coming back a second time really made me have a deeper appreciation for all the things that I was seeing. One of the things that traveling has taught me is that the more you appreciate something, the more fun you’ll have. I know my travel experiences will continue to shape me throughout my life because they encourage me to keep learning about things so I can appreciate more things and have fun in more places around the world!

My love for Shakespeare and literature in general has grown tremendously since I was 12; and that's saying something, because even from a very young age I loved all things Shakespeare! When we visited this time around, it was more special to me because I had time to really study his plays and poems and learn about him as a person. Coming back this second time around, I knew much more than I did as a kid, and I was able to put what I had read into context. 

 The highlight of the trip for me was seeing Shakespeare memorialized in Westminster Abbey. I felt like one of the pilgrims in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales traveling thousands of miles to see the tomb of Saint Thomas. The statue of Shakespeare that is on display at the Abbey is extremely life-like—it was as if Shakespeare was standing there right in front of me! I felt like some preteen who just came face-to-face with Justin Bieber or something. I was awesome!

            While Shakespeare is amazing, I was also in awe of what was on the floor below my feet. I hadn't noticed right away (because, Shakespeare) but there are a few other wonderful writers that are commemorated in this wonderful place called Poets Corner. I grew more excited with each name I read—Lewis Carroll, T.S. Eliot, Alfred Lord Tennyson—and it was wonderful seeing all of these famous writers because I have read some of their work before and became more familiar with them since I had last been in England.

            What this taught me about British literature and culture is that you don't have to be British to appreciate British things. These great writers are there for every one of every culture to geek out over like I did—not just citizens of Brittan. I think that this is what makes these guys so awesome; writers like Shakespeare are so relatable that everybody—even people growing up in the 21st century or people who weren't born in England—can appreciate them.

            If anyone gets the chance to go to England, I would advise them to do it—you won’t regret it! There are so many awesome and wonderful things to do there, and I promise you this city never ceases to amaze! I know I’ll be going back the first chance I get!

(I do not own these pictures. All rights go to: http://www.planetware.com/london/westminster-abbey-eng-l-wab.htm and  http://archive.oneandother.com/articles/poet-laureate-ted-hughes-honoured-tonight/)