The Louisiana Division of the Arts and the Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana bring poetry into the classroom each year with Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest.  The National Endowments for the Arts partnered with the Poetry Foundation in 2005 to yield a program that would challenge high school students to study and memorize poetry in a competitive setting while building public speaking skills, confidence, and character. Students compete by reciting poems on stage while utilizing theatrical and oratory elements such as voice, character, and tone.

On Friday, February 17^th, 2012, ten high school students representing Sulphur High School, Washington-Marion High School, DeRidder High School, Westlake High School, and home school groups competed for the top three honors at the SWLA Regional Poetry Out Loud Competition at Central School.

Elizabeth Salvador, a home school student, won third place in the competitions with her performances of “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and “The Donkey” by G.K. Chesterton. Raven Dobbins, a freshman at Washington-Marion High School, was awarded second place for her recitations of “Sadie and Maud” by Gwendolyn Brooks and “Alone” by Edgar Allan Poe. Keaghan Kane, a senior level home schooler, was honored with first place for her moving renditions of “Preludes” by T.S. Eliot and “Crossing the Bar” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our students who won this year,” stated Erica McCreedy, project coordinator for the Arts Council. “This program engages the younger generations in the arts to not only create future artists but also future investors in the arts.” Salvador, Dobbins, and Kane will continue on to the State Poetry Out Loud Competition to hopefully follow in the footsteps of the 2011 Louisiana State Champion, David Douglas, who came also from Washington-Marion High School and represented Lake Charles at the National Competition. Over $50,000 in stipends and awards are given at Nationals.

Watch a great video of the SWLA Regional Competition shot by Karen Wink at the American Press! Poetry Out Loud 2012 Regional Competition.

Tweet