Rhea wins Poetry Out Loud competition

Poetry came alive in the McCallie-Kennedy Library on Feb. 15 during Darlington’s 4th Annual Poetry Out Loud event, sponsored by the Upper School English department.

“A poem on the page and a poem spoken out loud are two very different things; we hope that recitation helps our students appreciate the sounds and rhythms of these poems,” said Beth Wilson, chairperson of the English department. “Further, choosing a poem and internalizing it through memorization helps students engage with poetry.  We’re not looking to turn everyone into a literature professor; we want them to see that poems are appealing, funny, beautiful, disturbing, or meaningful for all kinds of people.”

More than 150 students participated in the event by memorizing and reciting a poem of their choice in class. The top 15 classroom winners were then selected to recite two poems in front of their peers and a panel of judges on Feb. 15. Through this exercise, they were able to learn much more about the work than they would by simply reading it on a page.

“It’s not easy to speak in front of a group, much less to recite a memorized poem,” Wilson said. “Poetry Out Loud participants must not only remember all the words but interpret the poem effectively, all while maintaining a strong physical and vocal presence. It’s great practice for everything from making a senior speech in assembly to presenting a proposal to a business client.”

All selections were chosen from the Poetry Out Loud website, www.poetryoutloud.org.

Junior Alex Cox was selected by the audience as the winner of the People’s Choice Award after his recitations of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The Arrow and the Song” and Simon Armitage’s “Zoom.” Senior Ansley McDurmon earned third place with her recitations of Simon Armitage’s “Zoom” and Calin Forbes’ “Momma Said.” Sophomore Wyatt Miller was runner-up with William Blake’s “London” and Donald Davie’s “Across the Bay.” Senior Kendrick Rhea came in first with his recitations of Phillip Levine’s “What Work Is” and Stevie Smith’s “Do Not!”

Rhea is eligible to participate in the semi-final competition at Perry High School in Perry, Ga., on March 17.