BT and Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage unveil "Something Clicked" a reflection of life in 2020 to mark National Poetry Day

- The poem has been brought to life with stunning visuals which can be seen here

LONDON, Oct. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- To mark National Poetry Day, BT today unveils ''Something Clicked" – a poem written by Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage. In a special collaboration, the one-off commission highlights the increased reliance on broadband in helping us stay connected in recent months. From keeping in touch with family and friends, to home schooling and taking up new hobbies, connectivity and broadband have never been so fundamental to so many parts of life.

"Something Clicked", reflects on these changes and highlights the re-evaluation of some of life's priorities, including the new norm of walking to another room to work instead of battling the stressful commute. The poem brings to life how our homes have become the center of learning and exploration, allowing us to see the world, and beyond, from our kitchens, lounges and basements. It reflects on the whys of digital life and explores the possibility that connectivity can bring, allowing us to unlock our potential.

The activity supports BT's multi-million-pound "Why?" advertising campaign which launched last month, challenging the UK to think a little harder about their choice of broadband provider given the integral role it plays in our lives. The campaign builds on its Beyond Limits commitment to go above and beyond to help UK families, communities and companies reach their full potential.

BT will be replacing radio, press and TV adverts with extracts from the poem for National Poetry Day on October 1^st.

Pete Jeavons, Director of Marketing Communications, BT said: "This has been a wonderful project to be a part of. It's not very often you get to work with the Poet Laureate and crafting a written work of art provides a wonderful juxtaposition to the digital world we live in. We can't wait to see how people respond to it."

A recital of the poem has been coupled with a stunning collection of visuals which can be found here.

Something Clicked

Then something clicked 
and the day quivered and rang like a question mark!
Why grit your teeth in the gridlock now the commute's 
a superfast hop and a skip from toothbrush to keyboard,
from bed-hair to screen-call? 
Why wrestle with glitches and gremlins
or tussle with gubbins and gismos, or idle and churn

in the swirling pit of the buffering wheel
now you're fine-tuning the senses, enrolling for real life,  
getting to grips with arts and crafts
that were only a keystroke away all along -
you're a rhythm guitar, a poem, a garden, a song.
You've learned to cook -
you're a Sunday roast, a multigrain loaf, a recipe book!

Why be garbled and scrambled again
now you're mindful, resourceful, neighbourly, human?
Now you're curious.  Fruitful.  Meaningful.  Tuneful.
And why twiddle your thumbs, though sometimes it's good
to kick back, to noodle and doodle
letting dreams swim into pin-sharp-focus,
meander through luminous moments.  Why stall,

why settle for knowledge arriving granule by granule?
No more fishing for news with a butterfly net, 
doing the human aerial.  You're bright of late, ideas hitching 
and switching from one domain to the next,
thoughts swiping from subject to subject, planet to planet,
globetrotting the universe. And you're riding a bike -
you're a walk, a hike, a mountain, a lake.

It's a new world - you're at school in the kitchen,
at work in the attic, in Ancient Rome in the lounge,
on Mars in the basement.  Why tear out your hair 
while the present dithers and loads, you deserve
to lean on the airwaves and not fall over,
to feel the hub of your heart's heart
pulsating and purring with life's signal.

So you're right here this minute being your best being.
And now you've hooked up 
with the all-thinking all-feeling all-doing version of you
why sit in the future's waiting-room
drumming your fingers,
why lose the connection 
when you could be your own greatest invention?

Simon Armitage

Notes to Editors

About BT  

BT Group is the UK's leading telecommunications and network provider and a leading provider of global communications services and solutions, serving customers in 180 countries. Its principal activities in the UK include the provision of fixed voice, mobile, broadband and TV (including Sport) and a range of products and services over converged fixed and mobile networks to consumer, business and public sector customers. For its global customers, BT provides managed services, security and network and IT infrastructure services to support their operations all over the world. BT consists of three customer-facing units: Consumer, Enterprise and Global. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Openreach, provides access network services to over 650 communications provider customers who sell, phone, broadband and Ethernet services to homes and businesses across the UK. 

For the year ended 31 March 2020, BT Group's reported revenue was £22,905m with reported profit before taxation of £2,353m. 

British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on the London stock exchange. 

 For more information, visit www.btplc.com 

Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1305738/BT_Something_Clicked.mp4