SPOTLIGHTS NATIONAL POETRY RECITATION CONTESTANTS

“To be or not to be: that is the question.” At one time, this line from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” was recited frequently in English classrooms throughout the country. Thanks to a national arts education program presented in partnership with the Louisiana Division of the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the Poetry Foundation the study and recitation of great poetry is again being encouraged for high school students across the country. During 2023 ArtBreak, for the first time ever, you will hear Poetry Out Loud performed by regional and state winners of the competition during the weekend ArtBreak 37 family festival and a Master Class will be offered to outstanding students in grades 5-12 to help them “master” the art of poetry recitation.

Poetry Out Loud encourages the study of great poetry by high school students across the country. The program began in 2005 with an offering of free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition, and to date more than 4.1 million students have participated in Poetry Out Loud competitions. Students recite works selected from an anthology of more than 1,200 poems and judges evaluate the performances on criteria including voice and articulation, evidence of understanding, and accuracy.

Andrew Medlin, Caddo Parish Magnet High School Freshman English teacher, Creative Writing teacher and Poetry Out Loud District supervisor describes Poetry Out Loud as an extremely meaningful outlet for students who might not be getting recognition in any other way. He said it has a deeper level of depth than other academic competitions because the contestants are allowing themselves to be super vulnerable as they divulge something in themselves to people they don’t know in order to give value to something of great value—fine poetry.

Medlin says, “Poetry Out Loud scratches an itch for a certain kind of learner that very few other activities can. Participants can get inside a poem deeply and profoundly, and they learn something about both poetry and about themselves that can lead to some truly revelatory performances.”

Fifteen students participated this year in the district high school Poetry Out Loud competition from Byrd High School, Caddo Parish Magnet High School, Choudrant High School, and Northwood High School. Two district students went on to compete at the state level. Jazmyn Mason, a senior at Caddo Parish Magnet High, took first place and Tanya Mina from Choudrant High took second. The state winner was Camilla Howell from Zachary High School with her recitation of, “Very Large Moth,” by poet Craig Arnold. Miss Howell will travel to Washington, D.C. in May to compete in the national Poetry Out Loud competition.

When asked why she enjoys participating in Poetry Out Loud, district winner Jazmyn Mason says, “Poetry Out Loud has provided me with the opportunity to not only experiment with the art of bringing poetry to life, but also explore emotions and personal experiences through the works we present.”