Poetry recitation contest for high schoolers

Local high school students showed off their love of poetry, and their public speaking skills, by taking to the stage.

Poetry Out Loud is a national contest in which high school students memorize and recite poems of their choice. Marquette Senior High School students performed pieces by Shakespeare, Lord Byron, Emily Dickinson and many more.

“Poetry means to me a way of expressing myself,” senior Reilly Chabie said. “It’s a lot harder to just say words without meaning, and choosing a certain poem that expresses something that you understand really helps express how you feel.”

Chabie won a tight contest among 18 students. She now moves on to the state championship in East Lansing in mid-March.

“I started writing poetry last year,” junior Chelsea Morin said. She was the 2013 Marquette champion and finished third this year. “When I was told about Poetry Out Loud, I thought I’d try my hand at it. I’ve posted some poems online and I’ve gotten Top Poem of the Day before. It’s easier to put my emotions on a page than to tell someone.”

The state winner advances to the national championship in Washington D.C. in late April.
$50,000 in scholarships and school stipends will be up for grabs there.