Rhymes and Rhythms of New Love: An Anthology of High School Poetry

To make optimum use of the Corona forced break from academic work, and to make learning fun, All India Forum for English Students, Scholars and Trainers (AIFEST) organized an Online International Poetry Competition for lovers of literature and poetry in November 2020. The participants were divided into three categories: Middle School (Classes V to VIII), High School (Classes IX to XII), and an Open Category for everyone else. Themes for poetry were different for different categories.The results were announced on 20th November 2020, following which recitations of selected poems were compiled and posted on the Official YouTube Channel of AIFEST. We left no stone unturned to ensure free, fair and just evaluation and competition. We also made sure that unbiased and capable judges evaluated the poems. All the submissions were checked for plagiarism using both Turnitin and Urkund software.Due to the huge volume of submissions we received, we had to omit many submissions based on the overall grade and score. We also understand that despite our best attempts, there could be subjectivity in evaluation and judgment. Pure objectivity, especially in evaluating poetry, is almost impossible. From the High School Category (Classes IX - XII), 66 poems were awarded A Grade. These poems were sorted and edited based on the subject matter, point of view, and treatment of the theme. This anthology features 35 poems on the theme 'New Love' compiled for the perusal and consumption of the enthusiasts. It is sincerely hoped that this anthology will find its place in libraries and book houses as a periodical literary compilation documenting the output of a pandemic stricken multitude. Poets Featuring in this Volume1.Nandini Pandey, Delhi Public School, Bidhannagar, Durgapur, West Bengal 2.Akshat Garg, Aggarwal Public School, Ballabgarh, Faridabad3.Tapatya Basak, Pramila Memorial Institute, Deshbandhu Nagar, Kolkata4.Malavika R, Holy Trinity School, Kanjikode West, Palakkad5.Prarthana Vijayakumar, Shraddha Children's Academy, Kottivakam, Chennai6.Yastika Jain, DAV Public School, Sector-14, Faridabad7.Nalini Sinha, DAV Public School, Sector-14, Faridabad8.Rainna, DAV Public School, Sector-14, Faridabad9.Adrita Mukherjee, DAV Public School, Sector 14, Faridabad10.Resham Chopra, DAV Public School, Sector-14, Faridabad11.Pranami Bharali, Gurukul Sikshyayotan Junior College 12.Tulsi Nambiar, Hebron School, Lushington Hall, Ooty13.Arpan Shah, Sunbeam School Varuna, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh14.R Swarnakamatchi, Amrita Vidyalayam Thoothukudi15.Jaya Jha, Amity International School, Sector-46, Gurgaon, Haryana16.Adithya V, St Antony's Public School, Anakkal, Kottayam17.CK Amizhdini Rose, Little Flower School, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu18.Rashmi Agrawal, Little Flower School, Chargawan, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh19.Ayshmita Biswas, Vraj Green Valley, Thane (West), Maharashtra20.Arijit Mukherjee, DAV Public School, Raniganj, West Bengal21.N Ashwini, Amrita Vidyalayam, Thoothukudi22.Subhanghi Saha, Delhi Public School, Durgapur, Sector 2D Bidhannagar23.Adhittya Sivaram, Amrita Vidyalayam Senior Secondary School, Thoothukudi24.Anushka Chatterjee, Delhi Public School, Durgapur25.Akshara S Nair, DAV Public School, Sector-14, Faridabad26.Shrest Baranwal, RLJDMCDAV Public School, Raniganj, West Bengal27.Tanisha Jain, RLJDMCDAV Public School, Raniganj, West Bengal28.Abhiruchi Vishal Dabhade, SREF, Bhavani Nagar, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra29.Ashmita RK, Amrita Vidyalayam, Thoothukudi30.Anirudh, DAV Public School, Sector-14, Faridabad31.Jazi Yvonne Minimo, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines32.Palak Chaudhary, DAV Public School, Sector-14, Faridabad33.Sherebanu Barnagarwala, Medicaps International School, Rau, Indore34.GV Rajalakshmi, Aggarwal Public School, Sector-3, Faridabad35.Samarpita Philipp, DAV Public School, Sector-14, Faribabad