Nervous about reciting? Unsure of where to start? Don’t be—everything you need to help you with your recitation is on this page, including advice and reflections from past Poetry Out Loud National Finalists.
Find more videos on the National Endowment for the Arts’ YouTube Channel.
“Before participating, I expected to feel mostly nervous, but once I stepped up to perform, the feeling was much closer to excitement. Choosing a poem and sharing it with an audience feels energizing and freeing, not intimidating.”
Xariel Banton, 2026 Pennsylvania State Champion
