Poetry Out Loud
Congratulations to the 2025 Poetry Out Loud National Champion, Isavel Mendoza!
Isavel Mendoza, a 12th-grade student at Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Second-Place winner is Teonna Randle, a 12th-grade student at Jefferson High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Third-Place winner is Kaitlyn Lubega, a 12th-grade student at the United World College – USA in Montezuma, New Mexico. Read more here!
Featured Poet
Tear
By Linda Hogan
It was the time before
I was born.
I was thin.
I was hungry. I was
only a restlessness inside a woman’s body.
Above us, lightning split open the sky.
Below us, wagon wheels cut land in two.
Around us were the soldiers,
young and afraid,
who did not...
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For Students
What's It Like to Compete?
Nervous about reciting? Unsure of where to start? Don’t be—everything you need to help you perform a successful recitation is right here.
“POL is one big family. Everyone is in support of each other. It surprised me how much it didn’t feel like a competition; instead, it felt like a group of people who were simply passionate about poetry sharing it with each other and an audience.”
–Niveah Glover, 2024 Poetry Out Loud National Champion
For Teachers and Organizers
The Power of Poetry
Every year thousands of teachers integrate Poetry Out Loud into their curricula. This section has everything you need to run a successful program in your classroom.