Some enjoy poetry in the act of writing it, some, reading it in solitude, and some enjoy the act of presenting their unique interpenetration to others. March 5th, the Oregon Arts Commission hosted the regional competition of Poetry Out Loud, a national competition of poetry memorization and recitation sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Each presenter works his way up through class, school, and state competitions to reach the national competition held in Washington, D.C. in May. They each select a poem from the POL anthology, which contains both selections from the cannon and modern works. AHS has held competitions the previous two years, both won by junior Alexander Barnes, who proceeded to take second place at the state level. However, there was no school competition this year, so Barnes entered independently, and after passing the new regional phase, went onto State March 31st. “I enjoy Poetry Out Loud because it exposes me to new material I can get excited about,” Barnes said.

What He’s Reciting:
“The Affliction of Richard,” by Robert Bridges
“Calling Him Back from Layoff,” by Bob Hicok
“Time Does Not Bring Relief: You All Have Lied,” by Edna St. Vincent Millay

POL Anthology:  http://www.poetryoutloud.org/​poems-and-performance/find-​poems