Beechwood High School junior Bella Slone won the 2026 Kentucky Poetry Out Loud recitation contest in Lexington this week.
With her achievement, Slone received a $200 award, $500 for her school library to purchase poetry books, and a trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the National Finals.
Slone was among eight poetry recitation competitors from throughout the state, organized by the
Kentucky Arts Council.
Her recitations included “She Walketh Veiled and Sleeping” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “Militants to Certain Other Women” by Katharine Rolston Fisher, and “The Light of. Stars” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
“Bella is one of the most hard-working and talented students with whom I’ve worked. She can not
only recite poetry beautifully, but she strives to truly understand, appreciate, and bring literature to life. She loves reading and writing poetry, and her performances are a natural extension of her love of the written word,” said Beechwood High School English teacher Molly Seifert. Seifert is also forensics team coach at Beechwood and organizes the regional competition.
On April 27, Poetry Out Loud champions from each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto
Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands will compete in the National Finals in Washington D.C.
Judges will evaluate student performances on criteria including physical presence, articulation, evidence of understanding, level of difficulty and accuracy.
Poetry Out Loud lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection. Since the program
began in 2005, more than 4.5 million high school students have participated in this dynamic poetry
recitation competition.
Poetry Out Loud can help students improve public speaking skills, build confidence, and grow their appreciation for poetry. For more information, visit www.poetryoutloud.org.