‘What voice is this’: 2022 NH Poetry Out Loud registration now open for schools, school groups

The N.H. State Council on the Arts has announced that registration for the 2022 New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud competition is open.

The Arts Council, which facilitates Poetry Out Loud in New Hampshire, expects that once again thousands of New Hampshire high school students will participate in the program, with registrations available for as many as 40 high schools and high school groups.

Poetry Out Loud is a national recitation competition that has students select, memorize and recite poems from more than 1,100 curated by the Poetry Foundation. By participating, students learn about great poets, poetry and literary history while sharpening their presentation and public speaking skills.

Poetry Out Loud competitions begin at the classroom level, advance to school-wide championships, regional competitions and then state finals. State champions are invited to participate in the national finals, which this year are scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., on April 25 -27, 2022.

There is no fee charged to students or schools participating in Poetry Out Loud, which is organized on the national level by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

While last year’s competitions were virtual, it’s anticipated that the 2022 competition will take place in person.

To learn more about 2022 New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud, including how high schools and school groups can register, visit nh.gov/nharts. For additional information, contact Allison Hawkins, New Hampshire State Council on the Arts at 603-271-0791, allison.hawkins@dncr.nh.gov.

The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts is a division of the New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. It began in 1965 with legislation designed “to insure that the role of the arts in the life of our communities will continue to grow and play an ever more significant part in the education and welfare of our citizens.” Funding for programs is provided through state appropriations, a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Conservation License Plate fund. Learn more about the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts at nh.gov/nharts.

NOTE: The line “What voice is this” opens the poem “Song” by Scottish poet Joanna Baillie (1762-1851).