Testimonials

What students, teachers, parents, and county coordinators are saying about Poetry Out Loud…

“The arts give my life structure and help me understand the world around me, as well as the world within. Reading and writing poetry allows me to process the constant onslaught of information entangled with modern life, and performance arts are a way I express myself and all my passions.”

-Student, Mendocino County (2025)

“Poetry Out Loud has helped me experience the arts in a way I never thought possible. Poems that once felt distant now speak to me, and I’ve found true meaning in the words of others.”

-Student, Contra Costa County (2025)

“I have a student who is struggling in English class. However, when she and I worked together on her English assignment and took turns reading, I noticed her increasing her inflection, drama and interesting pacing of reading after she listened to me read. She is a little sponge! So, I suggested she try the Poetry Out Loud competition. She and I worked together, practicing every day for about a week. She was THRILLED that I saw talent in her, and it was remarkable how quickly she memorized her poem.”

-Teacher, Alameda County (2025)

“Poetry Out Loud has been such an amazing avenue both for appreciating art and for expressing myself. Even with my background in theater, POL is an experience like no other. It connects us simultaneously to the poet, to the audience, and to our deepest selves.”

-Student, El Dorado County (2025)

“Poetry Out Loud has given me an outlet for my creativity unlike any other experience. The opportunity to amplify important voices while also reflecting on my own has been a great privilege. I am so grateful for the chance to participate in such a wonderful program and to be competing alongside so many other talented individuals!”

-Student, Fresno County (2025)

“For me, Poetry Out Loud is an opportunity to explore the world of artistic expression. The variety of poems exposes young people to so many underrated poets and encourages us to take the time to truly understand a poem's meaning. Poetry Out Loud feels more like a community than a competition, and participating in this program will absolutely grow one's love of performance or writing.”

-Student, Los Angeles County (2025)

“In the seven years that Del Norte has participated, our program has grown from a small contest involving a few students to a week-long celebration with several community events! In 2023 a pair of students returned from the state final event, feeling inspired to start a poetry club and monthly Youth Open Mic. In 2023 and 2024, Del Norte's Board of Supervisors proclaimed the week of our POL finals Del Norte County Poetry Appreciation Week. This year, Del Norte celebrated the culmination of its 2nd annual Poetry Appreciation Week with a standing-room-only Open Mic that showcased our county and school POL Champions. It was so moving!”

- Poetry Out Loud Coordinator, Del Norte County (2025)

“Art is another form of communication, the greatest form of communication there is. Monuments to the suffering, and joy felt by their creators. People write because they've got something to show, people paint because they've got something to say. Stained glass windows and commissioned statues taught, amazed, and comforted the people trudging along. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein taught, amazed, and comforted me. A good book, a good painting, a good poem; good art is necessary to make a good human.”

-Student, Placer County (2025)

“This year’s Poetry Out Loud program was a wonderful experience for my daughter and me. It provided a platform to build confidence, explore language, and connect deeply with poetry. One highlight was seeing my daughter step outside her comfort zones and recite--I've never seen her in this beautiful capacity before!  A challenge was finding time amid a busy senior year to memorize, analyze, and practice the poems; but the rewards (both tangible and experiential) made it more than worthwhile.”

-Parent, Alameda County (2025)

“Poetry Out Loud significantly and deeply connects my interests and soul. Poetry taps into my blood. As I recite and compete, my mom’s poetic spirit comes alive through me as we become poetry.”

-Student, San Bernardino County (2025)

“Poetry, passion and performance are what distinguish humanity from animals. It’s the closest we can get to capturing the inner workings of the soul, and there’s a certain unimaginable need to preserve that comes with that. Poetry does more than connect people. It empowers them.”

-Student, Stanislaus County (2025)

“The arts mean everything to me, the irreplaceable connections I have made through the arts mean even more.”

-Student, Tehama County (2025)

“Poetry is an amazing way to connect to myself and come together with others. It helps me process my emotions, send a message, and educate communities. Through poetry, my voice is heard.”

-Student, Tulare County (2025)

“Poetry has this remarkable power to make every aspect of oneself feel seen and every time I read a poem that touches me in this way, I feel as if I have somehow become more firmly rooted in the matter of the world. Poetry Out Loud has given me the opportunity to feel this power of poetry within myself, to give to an audience the new friendship with, understanding of, and connection to the language of a poem I have fallen in love with. When I am on stage, I feel empowered by language in a way I rarely feel in my day to day life.”

-Student, Yuba County (2025)

“This year at POL, as we tallied the final scores, I asked students to share with the audience about their experience and why they chose the poems they did. Tears began to flow as one student recounted, after reciting Dana Gioia's "Pity the Beautiful," that this poem was important to her because even though everyone isn't born having it all, they can still achieve their dreams. Another student was moved to tears, after discussing how "Invisible Children" by Mariana Llanos compelled her because "so many people believe is perfect...yet in reality I have felt invisible and I felt very little and I had no power to change my life. When I finally got out of that period of my life, I was able to be happier and live my life like there's no tomorrow. I feel that the poem really connects with me because of that."

-Poetry Out Loud coordinator, San Bernardino County (2025)