In what has become a sure sign that spring is right around the corner, the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts has announced that New Hampshire’s annual Poetry Out Loud finals will take place at the State House in Concord on Friday, starting at 6 p.m. That evening, high school students from across the state will compete for the opportunity to represent New Hampshire at the national Poetry Out Loud championship.
Again this year, the finals will take place in Representatives Hall, where such luminaries as Franklin Pierce, the Marquis de Lafayette and Carol Channing have appeared.
Eight thousand students from 40 New Hampshire high schools and high school groups participated in the Poetry Out Loud program during the 2016-17 school year.
This year’s 11 finalists, all winners of their high school competitions who excelled at the state’s four semi-finals, will recite poems that they selected from those compiled by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. New Hampshire’s champion will travel to Washington, D.C., for the national championship, where a total of $50,000 in awards and scholarships will be awarded to the top finishers.
All 2017 New Hampshire school champions have been awarded merit scholarships from both New Hampshire Institute of Art and Southern New Hampshire University that may be applied toward coursework at those institutions. Additionally, if the state champion chooses to enroll at either New England College or Plymouth State University, those institutions will award scholarships to that individual.
Poetry Out Loud is a national program that encourages students to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. Participants master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about literary history and contemporary life.
New Hampshire’s Poetry Out Loud Championship is open to the public and there is no charge for admission.
To learn more about 2017 New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud, visit nh.gov/nharts.
Shelly AngersN.H. Department of Cultural Resources
