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For Children


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Remember, Remember 5th November 1605 - (a historical poem)

By Josie

31 October 2007

On the very night that the Gunpowder Plot was foiled, on November 5th, 1605, bonfires were set alight to celebrate the safety of the King. Since then, November 5th has become known as bonfire night. The event is commemorated every year with fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire. Some of the English have been known to wonder, in a tongue in cheek kind of way, whether they are celebrating Fawkes' execution or honouring his attempt to do away with the government. - This poem has gone down well with a class of 9 year olds. I read it a second time, stopping before the facts to give them a chance to recall them and discuss them.
Also: http://www.whiteheadm.co.uk/html/nov_5th.html#guynov

            Remember, remember sixteen hundred and five
            Thirteen friends decided it was time to contrive
               A plan to get rid of their parliament and king –
               And under cover of darkness to Parliament did bring . . .

Thirty six barrels of gunpowder.

            Remember, remember that they had a good reason -
            Long ago, death was the price paid for such treason.
               Repressing the Catholics was the root of their cause.
               These young men decided to abolish these laws.

James I turned out to be just as intolerant
of the Catholics as Elizabeth I, in fact.

            They stored all the gunpowder quite well out of sight.
            The friends crept into Parliament under cover of night.
               But the thought of the deaths, to perhaps innocent folk,
               Caused some to feel troubled, and one of them spoke.

He spoke to a friend, Lord Monteagle, about
the plan in an anonymous letter.

            When the King heard the news, he called on his forces
            And off to Parliament galloped his soldiers on horses.
               In the cellars of Parliament Guy Fawkes was discovered
               And the truth of the matter was quickly uncovered.

Some people say that the gunpowder was
too old and damp to have exploded anyway.

            Guy Fawkes was considered traitor to country and king.
            He was tortured, condemned and by the neck he did swing.
               Bonfires were lit to celebrate the safety of James –
               We remember this story today with our flames.

Even today we only allow Her Majesty into
Parliament once a year. Why? Because we

REMEMBER

Reviews

Historical
Written by ianhobsonuk (158 comments posted) 1st November 2007

Definitely a historical (and educational) poem, though when I came to: ‘But the thought of the deaths, to perhaps innocent folk’, suddenly it was of our time. Should ‘with OUT flames’, be 'with OUR flames'?

Written by Josie (2732 comments posted) 1st November 2007

Thanks Ian. Well, this is the problem today the same as yesterday. When people set out to blow people up, they are usually only harming innocent people who do not deserve this treatment. It is not the answer to the problem. This poem should stir up thoughts and discussions in the classroom. I've been in a class that did this, and they got a lot out of it and also learned interesting historical facts. I would urge poets to do this sort of thing for other areas of history.

Josie
Written by punchy (493 comments posted) 1st November 2007

Really good, I wish we'd had poems at school to help us learn history, which I have always been incapable of enjoying or showing any interest in. And while on the subject I wish they would ban the sales of fire works! ( displays only I say.)

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