Grant County High School sophomore Haley Bryan will compete against 52 other state champions in the Poetry Out Loud National Finals April 28-29 in Washington, D.C.
Bryan, 16, was one of 14 state finalists who competed in the first and second rounds of the Kentucky Arts Council’s Poetry Out Loud competition March 12 at the Grand Theatre in Frankfort. She advanced to the final round based on her recitations of “Domestic Situation” by Ernest Hilbert and “For Love” by Robert Creeley in rounds one and two, respectively. In the final round, Bryan clinched the state championship with her recitation of “Revenge” by Letitia Elizabeth Landon. She will take the same three poems with her to Washington.
“I’m super excited. I’ve always had a passion for poetry. To be able to be in a competition like this where poetry inspires people means so much to me,” she said. “I’ve got a little bit of nervousness. Public speaking scares everybody, but I’m so ready to do it.”
Bryan said she feels Poetry Out Loud is an important program because it keeps poetry relevant and gives it life.
“Reciting it really helps you get in touch with the author. It keeps that person alive,” Bryan said. “I love that.”
Poetry Out Loud is a poetry recitation contest sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. The 53 national finalists advanced from a field of more than 365,000 students nationwide and will gather in Washington to match skills in reciting classic and contemporary poetry, from William Shakespeare to Maya Angelou.
The top national finalists and their schools will receive $50,000 in awards, including $20,000 for the winner.
The competition is live-streaming onlinewebsite
More information is available at www.poetryoutloud.org
The Kentucky Arts Council