Quotes, Poetry Out Loud, 2008

Selected School Coordinator Survey Responses

"Our school has only 180 students. Most have never read or shown any interest in classic or contemporary poetry. This event was well received by our students. They willingly memorized and looked over many poems. It was a very exciting event for an alternative high school. We were glad to be included."
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"The pyramid structure of the contest really helped kids feel like they were a part of something. ÊThey all had to go through it; their attention was rapt during the school contest. ÊMany adults commented that they'd never seen the kids, as a whole, so interested in any kind of presentation, speaker, or event."
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"For a first-ever attempt at holding the school-wide event, we were thrilled to have a number of students ready and willing to compete (several alternates were on hand, in addition to the 19 scheduled contestants). ÊWe also had more people in attendance than anticipated (having to run more programs 15 minutes before the actual event began as we ran low). ÊParents and community members in attendance expressed their appreciation for the event and our building principal raved about how fabulous it was for days on end!"
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"LOVED IT! I had no idea, nor did the student who went on to compete in Kansas City, how great this would be. ÊWe were thrilled for the winner and every person who presented. What a collection of stars. We are in for next year. ÊIt is clear the competition is talented. ÊTHANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS EVENT POSSIBLE FOR SMALL SCHOOLS LIKE OURS. ÊWe have no forensics team or funding for travel, so the stipend is the only one I have ever gotten for speech contests or performance competitions. ÊI appreciate you building that in."
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"As department chair in a relatively small school, I embraced the project and the teachers in my department followed suit. Competing in the county competition truly 3-dimensionalized the program. ÊI won't do anything different in my classroom next year, other than start 2 weeks earlier; however, the teachers in my department now have total "buy in." ÊOur school winner won at the county level, which was awesome, but just seeing the students compete from around the county was invigorating / inspiring."
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"The organization that was already established by the state arts agency and the constant communication made this entire project almost effortless. ÊWe all loved it and can't wait to try it again."
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"Students took a surprising interest in finding poems they liked, reading poetry and understanding it. ÊThey were excited about the classroom competitions and the school level competition. ÊStudents who have not had an outlet for coming forth found this an exciting opportunity."
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"Winning the state finals the first year and coming in second the next year helped rouse student interest. The first year finals at our school were held in a small classroom with a great competition that only a few non-contestants witnessed. This year we had all the bleachers filled in our school commons."
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"There was much more enthusiasm than I expected. ÊThe feedback from the students participating and viewing the school-wide contest was very positive. ÊWe will be expanding it to many more classes next year. ÊIt was absolutely wonderful. ÊI'm so glad I decided to get involved!"
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"Our winner also won the district competition and placed third in the county competition. ÊThe interest in poetry and poets among my students has increased dramatically."
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"Poetry is NOT a popular topic in my high school, not no way, not no how. BUT, it is the goal of several teachers to create a change in this attitude. We are extremely grateful for this program and the opportunity it afforded our student who went to regional competition. It was a wonderful experience for her to be among other students with enthusiasm for reciting poetry. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And, also the materials were super fabulous! We will try it again next year!"
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"Our implementation was very successful, particularly since this was the first year. ÊInitially teachers were hesitant, since they had no experience with the program. About half the teachers in the English department ended up participating. ÊHowever, after seeing the school-wide contest, teachers were very excited about the program. ÊWe are already planning to make it bigger and better next year!"
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"The competition instilled confidence, engaged students in poetry, and brought the power of poetry to a wider school audience. While it was only our first year, I am certain that what was accomplished this year will attract students and teachers to the competition next year."

Selected Teacher Survey Responses

"The program offers new ideas and approaches while smoothly fitting into curriculum and time constraints."
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"I found the program generated more excitement about poetry than anything else I've done. I loved how it involved the community members."
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"I think this program really helps to bring poetry alive to students. They understand why poetry is important and many students say they enjoy poetry more. I learned how important it is to continue to feature poetry in the classroom as it may be the only place that students are exposed to it."
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"Watching the students participate in the POL contest was so impressive, and I saw students who I would never have thought comfortable with recitation do an amazing job. I absolutely would participate in the competition again, and even if our school does not participate I think recitation is something I'll continue to include in my lesson plans."
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"I learned from the program: I was wary of using recitation and memorization in the classroom, but this program helped me to understand that it is such an important part of poetry that a person is really not doing a poem justice without those two activities. I'm planning to use more recitation and memorization next year in my classes."
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"Success in reciting poetry gives even reluctant learners a feeling of success in an area in which they have had little interest. ÊI think it takes away some of the perceived difficulty and mystery of poetry for many of the students."
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"I do a better job of teaching poetry because of the lesson material available."
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"I love being a part of this. It has helped me to be a better teacher and appreciator of poetry."
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"I would participate again and again and again. ÊI know many students who look forward to this program every year and I would not want to deny them this wonderful opportunity."
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"I have participated in the program all three years. In the past, I have worked with students reading far below grade level. ÊFor them, though they felt great trepidation about presenting even in front of their own class, Poetry Out Loud was a novel experience. Their self confidence soared once they realized that they could present aloud in front of their peers. Excitement swirled around the school contest, and the winner was delighted to take part in the state competition."
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"The arts programs in our rural school have been mostly ignored. This program helped us expand them."
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"If for no other reason, the search for "just the right poem" exposes to students to such a vast array of forms and poems that the benefits are immeasurable. I heard more poetry being read aloud by students and more discussions about poems than I have heard in over 20 years of teaching!"
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"Poetry encompasses all that I teach. I love watching the students "figure out" a complex poem, and I love seeing the poems they recited earlier this year having a prominent place in their notebooks. The contest give them a reason to do more than skim and scan a poem, When students can see the underlying meaning in literature, they learn more about themselves and about the world around them."
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"Students who find difficulty in expressing emotions can always find a poem that says it for them."
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"I loved engaging students in an English/academic activity that gave them an opportunity for recognition for something besides athletics!"
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"I plan to incorporate poetry recitation into my classroom next year, no matter what. My students got so energized when they realized that they were doing POL as part of a bigger picture. ÊSince I teach in a very small school district, it is all too easy to get myopic about lesson choices. ÊThe kids loved feeling that they had a "gift," a memorized poem, which they could easily share with others, as well as pull out and think about when the need arises."
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"The incentive for more active involvement in poetry for pleasure is stronger with this program."
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"I had never used recitation to teach poetry before, but I think that it really works. ÊMy students were much more engaged than they would have been if we had just "read" poetry. ÊBy the end of the program, they felt some ownership over their poems." Ê
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"POL is a wonderful opportunity to enrich kids' lives. Recitation is invaluable."
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"I learned more about how to effectively teach poetry! My students got exposure to classic and modern poetry, while developing their memorization and public speaking skills. All of these aspects made this a very valuable experience."
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"The recitation actually involved the whole student in the poem. ÊThe poems became a part of the student, not just something to "learn." ÊWe have lots of students who now enjoy poetry, who simply didn't before. ÊAnd I believe, along with Mrs. George Reece, "Memorize some bit of verse of truth or beauty./It may serve a turn in your life.""
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"A few years ago, our school / English department dropped the annual speech contest. ÊIt really wasn't much of a success. ÊIn the meantime, we had all forgotten the value of public speaking. ÊThis approach with poetry made it so much more manageable and enjoyable, both for us and the students."
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"I usually do not require recitation - now I will because it truly enhances my students understanding of this genre."
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"The POL event was amazing. Despite initial resistance among the members of my class, only one student "opted out" of learning a poem. And as they got into the class competition more, some of them realized they had picked weak poems out of laziness, and so they changed to better, more difficult poems to learn in order to be more competitive. The peer support was also incredible. My students all were rooting for their classmates, and when one of mine actually won the school-wide contest, over half the class wanted to travel to the state contest to be there in the audience for him. All this over poetry! I have never seen such enthusiasm from students for poetry before. ÊThis is absolutely the best time I have had teaching poetry to my students in my 25 year career. They discovered the power of words through this activity."

Selected State Champion Survey Responses

State Champions who competed at the National Finals in Washington, DC said:

"Honestly, what I loved so much about Poetry Out Loud, and still cherish, is the connection it brought me to the arts and those who value it as I do. I earned this chance to meet fifty students who had come together, from as close as Connecticut to as far as Alaska, for the appreciation of poetry. Poetry Out Loud broadened my outlook beyond the confines of my small town to realize that the arts are perhaps the most noble and wonderful universal influence that humanity shares."
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"It was an amazing experience and I would do it all over again if I could. I hope that the program continues to grow so that even more students can get involved and discover their love for poetry!!! I am sooo very thankful!"
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"Meeting all the wonderful, talented and dedicated peoples in the entire competition. ÊThe exchange between poems, language, personalities, on and off stage, was visceral. ÊIt was an honor to meet so many youth just like myself, trying to make the world that much more beautiful through poetry." Ê
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"Getting out of my comfort zone and trying something that was completely new to me."
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"Helping with me to better understand and appreciate poetry as well as boosting my confidence with performing for an audience."
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"As a poet, the competition allowed me to see how careful language is. ÊI learned that each word, syllable add or distracts from the meaning as a whole, so my understanding of poetry as a reader and poet made me love language much more."
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"It gave me a greater appreciation of all the different styles of poetry and the many talented artists that wrote them. Whereas before I only saw poetry as a part of my school curriculum in English, now I see it as and art, kind of like acting and theater, it is very versatile and can be molded into what ever you want it to be."

"Poetry is somewhat of a lost artÑmy grandparents always recite it and I have always chuckled when they have. ÊNow that I have actually had to memorize and recite, I appreciate the beautiful emotions conveyed by poets through words, and actually enjoy saying the poems out loud."
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"By memorizing and reciting a poem, you make it a part of you, which necessitates gaining some understanding of it. You have to figure out what it means and how you are going to present it to your audience. ÊIt also becomes more personal to you and you appreciate something new about it with each recitation."
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"Reading words is great, but they are also meant to be spoken. The way that you say things is so important, and with poetry, which is meant to convey emotions and tell stories, it's crucial. There are poems I didn't get AT ALL before POL that I now love."
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"Memorizing the poem gets in stuck in your head and your heart so when you really understand the poem, it's not just saying it, it's like feeling the poem itself come from you."
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"When I memorized the poem, it became a part of me. ÊWhen it was a part of me, I was able to feel the poem, to really know it."

Quotes from participants in Poetry Out Loud 2007

Comments from Teachers

"This was easily one of the greatest experiences of my teaching career. Overall, we had approximately 850 (out of 1000) students memorize a poem, from all levels, grades and abilities. Our school semi-finals included several ESL students, athletes, actors, honor-roll students and students who struggle with their English grades. In the week leading up to the first round of the competition, students were reciting their poems in the halls, in science classes, at their after-school jobs, and to their parents at home. The students were proud of their work. They were eager to share with each other.... It was the level of intellectual confidence and enthusiasm that we as teachers usually only fantasize about. I cannot praise this project highly enough. I, as well as many of the students look forward to next year's competition."

"I don't usually like to think of poetry as something that encourages students to 'compete.' My misgivings about being involved in POL were that I hated the thought that there would be more "losers" (in terms of prizes) than winners. I didn't want that to be a turn-off for the students. Instead I saw a camaraderie and enthusiasm for the individual 'style' and effort that each finalist brought to the stage. They were very encouraging and supportive of each other. A sense of 'teamwork' and friendship came out of the coaching sessions [and] that was wonderful to witness."

"...students still talk about the program much later, and a poem would come up in class that someone has recited—the students immediately had a connection with that poem, remembering it from the competition."

"When Matthew, an autistic student, recited his poem in front of the entire class—wow, that is the thing that keeps a teacher teaching."

"Participating in the contest and seeing my student grow in confidence has been one of the best experiences of my teaching career. While I could insist that my students recite poetry without the contest, being a part of it and realizing that they're participating in something that is beyond the classroom has been a tremendous motivation for them. My students are generally thought of, and see themselves, as academic outcasts. Being a part of Poetry Out loud has countered that perception."


Comments from Students

"When you memorize a poem, it seeps into your subconscious in your daily waking life, and in that way becomes a part of, you."

"Sometimes when you read poetry, you don't catch or pick up on everything that first time. However, when you memorize and then recite it, it forces you to find out the author's intentions when he wrote it and it gives you the opportunity to discover new things in it."

"I didn't think I'd enjoy the poetry recitation, especially when I had trouble at first finding a poem that I really responded to. But then I found Louise Bogan's 'Song for the Last Act.' Now I really understand what you said about the value of having someone else's words in your head. I find myself reciting my poem in my car when I'm driving as often as singing along to music. Somehow it's just really comforting. Now I want to learn more poems so I will have more of these voices to keep me company."


Comments from School Coordinators

"Our student body has completely embraced the entire notion of Poetry Out Loud and it has become a 'staple' of our year. All of our teachers encourage it and the students take it very seriously. During our All-School Poetry Out Loud Competition, one would have thought rock stars had just entered the building when our classroom winners took the stage and recited their poems. Sincere enthusiasm! Next year it will become more of a school tradition, as students know more about it, and the students hear more about it."



Quotes from teachers and students who participated in Poetry Out Loud 2006

Responses to the program in general:

"I was so impressed with the eagerness of the students that wanted to participate that I hope that it will come back to us again."

"I loved this contest! It was a very worthwhile experience for my students; I saw a different side to many of them."

"Thanks for bringing it alive, reminding me our state is a great place to be educationally."

"This is an excellent program, which I hope continues for many years to come."

"Our biggest—and best—surprise was the degree of success experienced by students who tend not to be successful in English. I've always know that students need multiple ways to demonstrate their understanding of literature, but this contest showed me for the first time how important it is. It was impossible to do well in the recitation without having a good understanding of the poetry. While some students may not have been able to write an essay that clearly explained their understanding, they were able to show it through performance. It was a great confidence and esteem booster for students most in need of both."

Did Poetry Out Loud change the way you feel about poetry, or read poetry—if so what has changed?:

"I entered because I am a competitive speaker. Next year I will enter, because I love poetry."

"Prior to Poetry Out Loud, I had never recited poetry and now I can walk away with the knowledge of how to understand the language of the poem and its implications and how to accentuate the poet's decisions through recitation."

"I think more about it. I read more poetry. It's made me write more poetry as well. For a period in my life I was a bit apathetic, but I presently love poetry again."

"Yes, I am now even more interested in poetry, I want to read more, write more and get more involved in the poetry community."

"It became more REAL for me. I can grasp the emotions now and I appreciate the poets even more."

"Although my school does require students to memorize and recite poems during national poetry month, I had forgotten how enjoyable poetry could be. I think Poetry Out Loud helped take the poems I knew as words on paper, and make them living, breathing art, thus becoming much more effective and powerful."

"I have always loved poetry, but never really thought about recitation. Poetry Out Loud showed me a way of sharing my love of poetry with others through performance. Two of my greatest loves are acting and poetry. Poetry Out Loud allows me to combine those two. It was truly a spectacular opportunity."

"My ability to take the time and read a poem, not just read it once and go about my way, but to actually dissect the poem and try to understand the poets' thoughts, emotions, and meanings."

"I have always loved poetry, but I enjoy listening to recitation much more now."

"It has humbled me in a way to be involved with the poems I read. Instead of worrying if I can understand all the words or if it rhymes, I focus on content with which it describes. Poetry is so wonderful and so mysterious that I wish more people would appreciate it."

For you, what was the greatest benefit to participating in Poetry Out Loud?

"I loved meeting all the artsy people from the other states. I've only traveled with sports teams before, and the people at poetry out loud were definitely not like athletes. It is so exciting to see kids my age passionate about poetry and passionate about using it as a medium to change the world."

"I was able to see so many young people from the entire nation that had an appreciation for the arts. I was so surprised to see the amount of time and money invested into young people and poetry from these programs. It really inspired me."

"This was a great self esteem builder. The entire experience was one that I will carry with me for the rest of my life."

"Exposure to such great work. I also made a friend out of this experience, whom I hope to stay in contact with for awhile. I hope my Experience with Poetry Out Loud didn't end because I was a senior, and hope to be able to take an active role in it in years to come."

"Through Poetry Out Loud I gained a better knowledge of the poetry community. In this process I also discovered a love for reciting poetry that will stay with me throughout my life. I am so thankful for this opportunity."

"This contest opened so many doors for me. I'm a different person than I was at the beginning of this year. Once, I couldn't stand in front of a classroom of my peers without my knees buckling, my face turning red, my whole body shaking, and having evil butterflies in my stomach for the next half hour. I had always wanted to join drama and perform but even when my teachers asked me to read my work at poetry nights, I had to refuse because I knew my nerves would end up getting the better of me. I dreaded performing "to the Desert" for my class, but the first time I actually got up there and did it, I was a lot calmer than I had ever been in front of an audience, and every time after that it just got easier. I don't know why this happened but it did and I'm so glad for it. I've competed in another poetry competition since then, I've performed at three school poetry readings, and plan on joining drama next fall."

"The energy and passion of everyone involved and watching touched me very much. Meeting and bonding with the other competitors was a lot of fun."

"The entire experience of being in a national contest was the greatest benefit."

"I think the contestants were the greatest part of it all. Seeing the devotion and liveliness in their presentations was so inspiring. Words cannot explain how amazing this whole experience was for me."

Quotes from teachers who participated in Poetry Out Loud 2005

"One of the greatest benefits is that the poem becomes part of you for the rest of your life."

"It's nice [to take] poetry and literature off the page into another realm where you're hearing it and seeing it and not just reading it."

"A celebration of skill and talent that tends not to receive such close attention throughout the year."

"[Poetry Out Loud] gave a wonderful focus on something that's overlooked in our curriculum, and thank you. A lot of fun. A good bit of work, but worth it in end. We had a great time."

"I do not have the most enthusiastic advanced classes this year. But I was shocked. I would say 99% of them had it at the memory check which was a good 4-5 days before they had to have it. Some of them had already started coming to me asking questions, and I heard them even in the hallways. I heard a lot of [another teacher's] kids in the hallways reciting for each other. And they were really supportive of each other during the performance. And I was happy to see that because I have a lot of negativity in those classes. They were clapping for each other, and not sarcastically but genuinely, so it really sold me. I think when teaching poetry in the future, I fully intend to add some sort of recitation component whether it's for a contest or not. "

"Huge effect. I was not sold on the memorization at all. I remember my experience as a student. I was in a military school where you had to have all kinds of facts and you had to have the chain of command and it was torture for me, and I associated that kind of impersonal memorization with all memorization. So this experience was awesome. The kids really connected with it."

"Really great for me. A wonderful experience. Really had fun. "

"I had such a good experience with it. I think the materials are good and I like the set up of whole program, the contest. I would definitely use it again."

"Well structured and organized, the fact that they had materials and teacher's book. It had rubric, had suggested timelines, suggestions for memorization, even had pictures of poets. Nice job. Teachers are so busy, and they made it doable. If they hadn't done those things, it wouldn't have been doable."

"I was shocked. In my 4th period class, [there was] this kid who had had really poor grades, he's a jock, and now we're all joking that he's the poet. He was awesome."

"I took one of my classes to the school final, and they still talk about that, because they were seeing kids they didn't know, types of kids they weren't familiar with, types of kids they were surprised to see on stage. I think that poetry as a performance art was a surprising experience for all of us."

"Some of the classroom finalists were such polar opposites. They came from totally different groups. That was neat for the kids to see. It wasn't just the quiet kid who always gets an A who won.... We had a lot of students on stage who represented the nonacademic side of [school]. Kids who you don't always see winning awards and contests and competitions. Some cool guys were up there who wouldn't normally do that kind of thing, and I was very pleased with that. "

"I want to speak to power of recitation. The impact, which I think was desired was achieved, in that it did make poetry part of their lives for a short while, and particularly the recitation part will stay with them. It will be part of them."