Poetry Out Loud® lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection. Through this program, high school students across the country participate in a dynamic poetry recitation competition that is designed to improve their public speaking skills, help build confidence, and teach them about literary history and contemporary life.

How it works:

1. Pick 2 poems to memorize and recite. One poem must be short (25 lines or fewer), one must to be pre-21st century (Both poems can fit both criteria).
2. Register online using this form.
3. Attend the Interest Meeting on Thursday, November 7, 2024, at 5 pm at SAAC (109 W Main St) for any questions. 
   
4. Attend the Contest on Wednesday, December 4, from 5-6 pm at Starkville Public Library (326 University Dr).
   

register online

Save the Dates:

• Interest Meeting: Thursday, November 7, 2024, at 5 pm at SAAC (109 W Main St)
• Contest (CANCELLED): Wednesday, December 4, from 5-6 pm at Starkville Public Library (326 University Dr). 

ELIGIBILITY:

• Student Eligibility
  • Grade Level: Only currently enrolled students in grades 9-12 are eligible, with an exception made for 8th-grade students participating in a 9th- through 12th-grade class.
  • State Finals: A student may not advance to the state finals without competing in a lower-level competition.
  • Legal Participation Requirements: No student may be excluded from participating in Poetry Out Loud on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin. Schools may determine eligibility for classroom and school level Poetry Out Loud programming pursuant to local and state law.
  • Homeschooled Students: Homeschooled students may participate by competing in a competition at a local school (at the school’s discretion) or with other local homeschooled students. Contact your state coordinator for specific guidelines.
  For all rules and eligibility, please visit https://www.poetryoutloud.org/about-poetry-out-loud/rules-eligibility/

Poem Eligibility

• Poem Anthology: All poems must be selected from the Poetry Out Loud print or online anthology, which is updated every summer. Check the website after September 1, 2024, to view the official POL anthology for the current school year. Only versions of poems from the official anthology may be used in the competition.
• Can’t Find a Poem? Poems may be removed from the online anthology before September 1, 2024. These poems are no longer eligible for competition unless they are in the print anthology. However, any poem in the printed anthology is eligible even if it is not online.
• Poem Criteria: Students must recite 2 poems at the local level contest. One poem must be short (25 lines or fewer), one must to be pre-21st century (Both poems can fit both criteria). At the state and national finals, students must have 3 poems prepared. One must be 25 lines or fewer, and one must be written before the 20th century. One poem may be used to meet both criteria and may be the student’s third poem.

Competition

• Competition Participants: Poetry Out Loud competitions must have at least two students to select a winner. If the winner is unable to attend the next level of competition, the runner-up should be sent.
• Evaluation: Students must be judged according to the Poetry Out Loud evaluation criteria from the 2024-2025 Teacher’s Guide.
• Rounds: State and national finals consist of three rounds of competition. Competitions at lower levels may have fewer rounds, but students must recite only one poem in each round.
• Poem Order: The order in which the poems are recited is up to the student, but poem order may not be switched once given to the competition organizer. Competition organizers may not dictate poem order.
• Judging: Rankings are based solely on evaluation sheets submitted by judges. Judges should not convene to discuss performances during the competition. Judges may not reconsider their scores after they are submitted. Judges’ decisions are final.
• Scoring: Scoring is cumulative. The scores from all rounds should be added together to determine the winner.
• Ties: In the event of a tie, the tied student with the highest overall performance score should win; if that also results in a tie, look to the highest accuracy score. If scores remain tied, consider having students pick one poem to recite again as a separate score to break the tie.
• Memorization: Students must recite their poem from memory.
• Props: Students may not use props or wear costumes during their recitations.

Visit https://www.poetryoutloud.org/ for more information on How it works, Rules & Eligibility,  Tips & Tricks, and more!

Questions? Contact Juliette Reid at Starkville Area Arts Council:

662-268-6231
[email protected]