The Milwaukee Public Museum, in conjunction with Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, held its first-ever poetry competition for schools in the Greater Milwaukee area this past winter. The theme was “Titanic, Ships and Shipwrecks.”

Titanic Poetry Competition Winners

Winners: Grades 3 - 5 Category

Anna Dannecker
Grade 4
Humboldt Park K-8 School, Milwaukee

Sydney Ring
Grade 5
Wales Elementary School, Wales

Winners: Grades 6 - 8 Category

Erin McKee
Grade 7
St. Agnes School, Butler

Trevor Monasterio
Grade 6
Heyer Elementary School, Waukesha

Winners: Grades 9 - 12 Category

Melanie Breunig
Grade 11
Arrowhead Union High School, Hartland

Karly McMillan
Grade 12
Arrowhead Union High School, Hartland

Winning Poems, Grades 3 - 5

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Titanic Lifeboat Poem
I stared at the Titanic as it lay without motion
on the dark, blue ocean.
Warm tears welled up in my eyes.
As cries and yelps of terror and fright filled the night,
slow, calming music began to play.
They played above the cries and yelps of terror.
The snare drum beat in sync with my heart,
and the black starry sky sat waiting above us.

By Sydney Ring
Grade 5
Wales Elementary School, Wales

Titanic
I am from an eerie shipwreck
And the depths of the cold, dark ocean.
I am from a grand ship
And a night filled with terror that I'll never forget.
I am from dancing in great ballrooms,
And feasting off the finest foods.
I am from First Class
And all it luxuries.
I am from the Titanic
And always will be.

By Anna Dannecker
Grade 4
Humboldt Park K-8 School, Milwaukee

Winning Poems, Grades 6 - 8

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The Sounds of Her Death
Screeeeech the ice slices open the belly of the ship
Officers strike the emergency bell: ding, ding, ding
Clomp, clomp, clomp worried footsteps slap against the deck
Whoosh, icy water hurries in—
Bbbbbeeeepbbbbbeeeep the Titanic radios for help.

Keerpboom! Emergency flares fly off
Splash! Lifeboats are lowered
Screams echo in the air
Women and children first, get in, get in!
Waaaa! Waaaa! Children cry for help.

Shhhhhhhhhhizzzzzzz the lights go out—
Tick, tick, tick the grandfather clock counts the hour
Splat, splat, splat the oars dig into the water
Boom!!! The Titanic give one more deafening boom
And plummets into the mysterious deep.

Trevor Monasterio
Grade 6
Heyer Elementary School, Waukesha

All Aboard the Titanic
A great majestic ship stands still in the harbor.
Crowds of people yell and cheer on the docks.
The laughter ringing and dancing through the air, sounds like a
Great flock of cawing seagulls.
The engine keeps a steady beat.
I touch the side of the ship, and exhilaration flows through my
Veins, fast and furiously.
I smell the scent of fresh paint, her maiden voyage will be a
Success.
Saltwater sprays in my face as the boat begins to move.
Our journey begins.
I stand still.
I listen.
I am exultant.

By Erin McKee
Grade 7
St. Agnes School, Butler

Winning Poems, Grades 9 - 12

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Waltzing with the Ice Queen
One-two-three
One…
Two…
Three…
Telegraph fingers tip-toe in time with the
One-two-three
One…
Two…
Three…
One-two-three
Ice water spreads over the dancers' toes.
On deck, a spotlight follows the
One-two-three
One…
Two…
Three…
One-two-three
A distant audience hears The Odd Waltz—sees the dancers
First row turns up its nose
Second and third rows inch closer, intrigued by the
One-two-three
One…
Two…
Three…
One-two-three
Fingers are freezing on bow strings
On keys
Dancers, desperate, the tempo picks up,
But the rhythm remains
One-two-three
One…
Two…
Three…
One-two-three
Morning headlines read like telegrams:
Titanic Hit Iceberg STOP
Thousand Dead STOP
We're sinking
STOP!
Epilogue:
A fish,
The heir,
In a tiny room
On the ocean floor
Swishes its tail with a
One-two-three
One…
Two…
Three…
One-two-three

Karly McMillan
Grade 12
Arrowhead Union High School, Hartland

Nearer

Upon the deck we gaily played whilst trusting the Valiant Queen
To hold us sure till glorious sights of Lady Liberty.
Come storm and gale she'd stayed alive with loveliness supreme.
For come what may, no beast could jar this lady of the sea.
Nearer…

Alas, one day The Beast did come—a greedy thing was he.
He scraped against our Splendor so that he alone could be.
The children screamed and mothers cried—I witnessed many pleas.
Men closed their eyes and prayed and waited for eternity.
Nearer…

Then, slowly, oh so slowly did raise my bow strings,
Nodded to my men and whispered, "One, two, three…"
With trembling hand and honest face and firm camaraderie,
Now played we once again to set the others' minds at ease.
Nearer…

The battle fought, the damage done, the victor all too clear,
A terror-breeding nightmare that refused to disappear.
"Here, ma'am and child! Please climb aboard! But sir, you stand aside!"
I knew had but moments to perform a final time.
Nearer…

A funeral dirge for friend and foe—a dying elegy.
And as I played, I sang along, "Nearer My God to Thee!"
Nearer My God to Thee.

Melanie Breunig
Grade 11
Arrowhead Union High School, Hartland