Oxford High School

Poetry Out Loud Information and Guidelines

The library will host the Poetry Out Loud contest on Tuesday, December 14 @ 9:00 AM in the OHS Library.  Poetry Out Loud is sponsored by The Mississippi Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation.

Competing in Poetry Out Loud

The Poetry Out Loud website www.poetryoutloud.org contains a wealth of information about competing in POL.  Below are a few highlights but not everything!  There are a number of recitation videos and helpful tips.  Please look at the website for more information! 

Poem Selection

All poems must be selected from the Poetry Out Loud online anthology, which is updated every summer. Check the website after September 1^st to view the official POL anthology for the current school year. Only versions of poems from the official anthology may be used in the contest.  Find Poems

Students must provide the title and author of their poem to Ms. Osborne prior to the contest via the Student Registration Form.  Click here to register for the 2021-2022 Poetry Out Loud School Contest. 

Number of Poems Required at Each Contest Level

School Level

Students must prepare at least 1 poem to recite.

State and National Levels

Students must prepare 3 poems to recite.*

*At the state and national finals, students must have 3 poems prepared. One must be 25 lines or fewer, and one must be written before the 20^th century. One poem may be used to meet both criteria, and may be the student’s third poem.

Introducing and Reciting the Poem

Competitors recite individually. The emcee should introduce students as they come to the stage to recite. It is the student’s job to identify the poem title and author, and, if necessary, the translator. (For example, “‘Mysticism for Beginners, by Adam Zagajewski, translated by Clare Cavanagh.”). A few other notes:

• A student’s own editorial comments before or after the poem are not allowed.
• Epigraphs should be recited and their omission will affect the accuracy score.
• Footnotes should not be recited and their inclusion will affect the accuracy score.
• Stanza numbers and dedications are optional, and their inclusion or omission should not affect the accuracy score.
• Students must include the name of the translator, if applicable.
• The poem must be delivered from memory.

Tips on Reciting 

Listen to Poems

Listen to Recitations

Accuracy Score Sheet 

Contest Evaluation Sheet

Evaluation Criteria and Tips for Contestants

Scoring Rubric

Curriculum Standards