Poetry Out Loud

I had the privilege yesterday of acting as one of the judges at the local junior high school’s poetry recitation competition. This was a precursor to a state- and national-level competition called Poetry Out Loud. I had not heard of it before, but it was a very impressive thing. The students had chosen poems from an approved list, memorized them, and had to recite them before the student body. They are judged on accuracy, with a deduction for even one word being incorrect, level of difficulty, physical presence, voice & articulation, and dramatic appropriateness. The students had obviously worked very hard, and all gave great performances. And of course, I love that they got to study poetry so in-depth. Good job, Diamond Fork Junior High students, and congratulations to the winners.

Here is one of the poems recited. It is by a favorite poet of mine, Robert Frost: