Poetry Out Loud
Christopher R.
For the fourth year in a row, Maine West is holding the annual school-wide “Poetry Out Loud” contest, allowing students to select and perform their favorite professional poetry. This Thursday, the final round will be held in the Little Theater, with semi-finals at 4:30 p.m. and the final round starting at 6:45 p.m. Students who win the school-wide competition represent West in the regional competition before possibly heading to state and nationals.
“We felt that students needed an opportunity to express how they felt about poems by performing them with their own interpretations and feeling connected to the reading,” Dr. Tim Pappageorge, English Department chair, explained. “It’s a great pleasure for us not only to hear the range of choices the students have made in terms of the poem they have picked but also to see the way they decide to interpret it, which can be exciting.”
Although poetry can be difficult to understand, by re-reading and connecting to the piece, students can reap many rewards.
“Most people find poetry to be confusing and difficult, but something happens when someone has taken the time to understand a poem for themselves. When students present, they present words that are much more approachable for the audience to take it in,” Pappageorge said.
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