theguardian — 

All five poet laureates of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland this year are women. On the eve of International Women’s Day this Saturday, they will perform together for the first time at the Women of the World festival at London’s South Bank Centre. Here we reproduce work by the national poets of England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.

Carol Ann Duffy, poet laureate

Mrs Schofield’s GCSE

(Penned in response to her work being removed from a GCSE curriculum)

You must prepare your bosom for his knife,
said Portia to Antonio in which
of Shakespeare’s Comedies? Who killed his wife,
insane with jealousy? And which Scots witch
knew Something wicked this way comes? Who said
Is this a dagger which I see? Which Tragedy?
Whose blade was drawn which led to Tybalt’s death?
To whom did dying Caesar say Et tu? And why?
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark – do you
know what this means? Explain how poetry
pursues the human like the smitten moon
above the weeping, laughing earth; how we
make prayers of it. Nothing will come of nothing:
speak again. Said by which King? You may begin.

More:   http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/03/female-poets-have-earned-laurels