What is Poetry Out Loud?

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program and dynamic poetry recitation competition for high school students beginning in the classroom and culminating in the National Finals in Washington, DC where over $50,000 is awarded in scholarships and school stipends. This year is a special milestone for Poetry Out Loud as it marks the 20th anniversary of this wonderful program!

Participants of Poetry Out Loud select a poem from an online anthology of over 1,200 poems. They work to memorize this poem and craft a unique performance, making the poem their own and the written word come alive.

Drawing upon elements of spoken word, theater, and slam poetry, Poetry Out Loud cultivates an appreciation of poetry that goes beyond the page. Poetry Out Loud promotes the creativity of performing poetry, not just reading it.

How do students benefit?

Poetry Out Loud is a transformative arts education program. It fosters community and connection by uniting students through the shared experiences of celebrating poetry. It also engages and challenges a variety of learners. Analyzing, interpreting, and performing poetry develops critical thinking and analytical skills that are helpful in other subjects.

Students are often inspired to write their own poetry and share their work with peers. Poetry Out Loud creates lifelong lovers of poetry and creative writing. Reciting poetry fosters emotional maturity and self-confidence.

How to get started:

Educators, librarians, or club leaders who would like to participate register themselves for the program – one registration per school or organization. Once registered, each participating educator/school receives access to free multimedia curriculum materials – a poetry anthology, teachers and organizers’ guide, poetry books, and a comprehensive website all aligned to national standards – augmenting their regular poetry curriculum with poetry recitation and a classroom-level competition. School-level recitation champions compete to advance to the regional, state, and then national levels. (Student finalists must compete in each stage of competition to advance to the next.)

Be sure to visit our Poetry Out Loud page and download the Poetry Out Loud brochure for more information about the program and our partner organizations, as well as links to learning tools and the online poem anthology.

How to Register:

Registration for Poetry Out Loud 2025 is now open for high school teachers, librarians, and educators that would like to sign up their classes up for the program. Click here to register before the October 31, 2024 deadline!