Poetry In Voice 2016 winner Marie Foolchand recites at Griffin Poetry Prize awards ceremony

Defining the Collective Power00:00:06

The speaker identifies as the collective 'people'—the mob, crowd, and mass—who serve as the foundation of all human progress, labor, and history.

The Cycle of History00:00:49

The poem highlights how the masses act as the 'seed ground' for influential figures like Napoleon and Lincoln, continuously producing leaders despite the tragedy and exhaustion of cyclical struggle.

The Curse of Forgetting00:01:20

The narrative explores the tendency of the people to endure exploitation and suffering, only to forget the lessons of history and the injustices they have faced.

The Future of Remembrance00:02:06

The poem concludes with a powerful call to action: when the people finally choose to learn from history and refuse to be exploited, they will claim their true authority and command respect from the world.