WEST ORANGE, Nj — This month West Orange High School (WOHS) participated in the preliminary and semi-final rounds of the annual Poetry Out Loud recitation competition. Students had to pick a poem from a list on the Poetry Out Loud website, analyze the meaning, memorize it, and recite the dramatic interpretation in front of their class. Teachers then chose the top participants in each class to qualify for the school semi-finals, which were held the week of the 15. For the semi-finals the 11 highest scorers were chose to recite for the finals.

On Jan. 10, these 11 students will recite two poems in the auditorium that meet the Poetry Out Loud requirements and be judged to see who makes it to states.

¨One of the things love about Poetry Out Loud is that it appeals to students who are otherwise reserved and you would not expect to connect with poetry. It helps to build confidence and expose students to poetry in the literary canon. You see students connect with words that may have been written years ago, decades ago, or even centuries ago. They make their own meaning of these words and express it through recitations,” stated English teacher, Janine Sullivan, about Poetry Out Loud.

We wish the Poetry Out Loud students the best of luck going forward and know that they will represent WOHS well.