JHS Poetry Out Loud winners: first place, McKenna Schneider, second place Abrielle Monaghan and third place, Siena DeAngelo with Public Speaking teacher, Barbi Price. Submitted Photo

Jamestown High School students continue to make poetry their own by memorizing poems and then reciting them in front of an independent panel of judges.

On Dec. 15, 24 students stood on the Jamestown High School stage, in a spotlight, reciting poetry, not for a class, but as part of the National Poetry Out Loud competition. The school-level contest winners were sophomores, McKenna Schneider and Abrielle Monaghan. Senior, Siena DeAngelo came in third.

“I have always loved being on stage, but since I enrolled in Public Speaking, I have found a passion for poetry and dedication I never could have imagined having” said McKenna, who recited “Emily Dickinson at the Poetry Slam” by Dan Vera. “I’m excited to face the next round of competition.”

Abrielle recited “Perhaps the World Ends Here” by Joy Harjo.

“I debated between which poem to choose for this competition, and I liked this one because it felt authentic,” remarked Monaghan. Abby continued, “My Public Speaking class provided me with peer suggestions and constructive feedback so that I could improve. I’m more confident in the way I can give emotion to the written words.”

JHS students are participating in the Poetry Out Loud for the tenth year in a row as part of an exciting resurgence in poetry as an oral art form. The contest, which is open to all JHS students, requires the competitors to memorize a poem from an authorized list. Poetry Out Loud is definitely different from a poetry slam because the students are breathing new life into someone else’s words and must use only their voices to make meaning of the words. They are evaluated on physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, evidence of understanding, overall performance, and accuracy. This year’s judges were Simone Sellstrom, Betsy Rowe-Baehr, and Charlie McKenna.

“Poetry Out Loud helps students master public speaking skills and build self-confidence while analyzing the themes, tone, and diction of a wide range of poems,” said Barbi Price, public speaking teacher. “Studying a poem, making it your own, and then reciting it as a gift to the audience is a scary but richly rewarding experience. This year, the very accomplished contestants interpreted their individual poems in a way that was uniquely heartfelt and poignant. I am SO proud of how far all of my students have come as public speakers.”

McKenna and Abby are each currently memorizing two more poems before they travel to Buffalo on Feb. 5 to compete against other winners from schools across Western New York. The top two finishers of that Regional competition will advance to the New York state finals in Albany, and ultimately, to the National Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington, D.C.

Poetry Out Loud is funded by the Poetry Foundation and The National Endowment for the Arts.