Senior Samantha McGrane won the school “Poetry Out Loud” competition, which was held on January 28 in the Little Theater, advancing to the county competition at Sonoma State University on January 31.
Poetry Out Loud (POL) is a national organization designed to get students invested in public speaking and to develop their appetite for poetry. This is achieved by having students read poetry aloud from preselected poetry pieces in a yearly competition.
While students at SVHS perform poetry, many like McGrane have developed a newfound appreciation for poetry as a genre. According to McGrane,“My freshman year English class with Mr. Beall introduced me to POL. At first it was a daunting task and something that was extremely uncomfortable, but throughout the years I have slowly built up my confidence around reciting poetry. Mr. Beall has helped me realize the passion I have surrounding poetry, reading it, reciting it, and my personal favorite, writing it.”
Through this process, many students are able to pick up on a poem’s themes, mood, and develop analytical skills they normally may not have acquired. Students also begin to develop a personal connection to poetry.
McGrane recited the poem “An Anthology of Rain” by Phillis Levin. She said she chose the poem because “it symbolizes the importance in celebrating and recognizing the smaller moments in life. For me this is an essential lesson that I have carried with me in high school, not taking any moment for granted.”
McGrane took that lesson to heart when winning the school competition, moving on to the county-level competition. An aspect of the county competition is memorizing a completely new poem in a very limited time.
“A standout moment was reciting my second poem “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop at the county competition. I had four days to memorize this poem for the competition. Reciting that poem on stage felt so good,” McGrane said. “My favorite part of participating in POL was meeting people at the county competition … I got the chance to become friends with other contestants who have a shared passion for poetry.”
To those interested in winning Poetry Out Loud, McGrane had only this to say: “My advice for people interested in winning POL is to have confidence in yourself. Whether the confidence is real or you have to fake it, always act confident, you deserve to be there.”
