March 19, 2014 at 1:39 p.m.
A farewell to their time in Poetry Out Loud
A farewell to their time in Poetry Out Loud
By Kayla Thomason-
Amber Sheth, who placed second at the state competition earlier this month, joined Poetry Out Loud during her sophomore year because she really liked poetry and public speaking.
Elise Ditzler, who went to state two years in a row, also joined her sophomore year, not only because she enjoyed poetry but to strengthen her public speaking skills and to get out of her shell.
"I feel like it has helped me a lot, I feel a little bit more confident now whenever I speak as long as I'm prepared ahead of time," Ditzler said.
For each level of competition the participants had to memorize an additional poem. At the school level it was one poem, at the regional level it was the previous one plus one more, and at state it was the previous two plus a new one.
The participants chose their poems from Poetry Out Loud's website, where there was a very long and comprehensive list. There were various styles, forms and time periods represented.
One of the poems had to be longer than 25 lines and another had to be a work that was penned prior to the 20th century. The third poem was of choice.
It took Sheth and Ditzler a few days to read through and narrow down which poems would work for them but they eventually chose ones that resonated with them.
Sheth chose "Thoughts in a Zoo," by Countee Cullen, "An Apology For Her Poetry," by Margaret Cavendish, and "The Tables Turned," by William Wordsworth.
Ditzler chose "The Animals," by Josephine Jacobsen, "On Monsieur's Departure," by Queen Elizabeth I, and "Writing," by Howard Nemerov.
They had to recite the poems perfectly and show understanding as well as convey the poem's meaning through appropriate dramatic representation.
At the high school anyone who was interested in poetry could have participated, there were no grade limitations.
Sheth and Ditzler competed against two other schools at regionals and at state they went against four other schools.
"I was really nervous beforehand because, unlike Elise, I hadn't been there the year before so she pretty much knows how that all went but I didn't so I was really nervous," Sheth said.
Ditzler felt fine until she arrived, then the nervousness started to creep in.
"I wasn't nervous driving down but arriving my nervousness kicked in a little bit but I still felt kind of confident because I knew what was to be expected of me and I wanted to do my very best," Ditzler said.
Sheth and Ditzler both thanksed their advisor, Allison Johnson.
"She was the one who brought Poetry Out Loud to Rhinelander High School and she's put a lot of time and effort into it and helping us memorize and analyze [our poems] so she's been really good to us," Sheth said.
She also thanked Catherine Brown for listening to them recite their poems over and over again.
Ditzler has some advice for those who would like to compete in next year's Poetry Out Loud.
"If it's something that you enjoy, if you enjoy English-related stuff or you need some work on your confidence in public speaking then [Poetry Out Loud] would definitely be something to look into," Ditzler said.
Sheth added there are some talented individuals in the younger grades and they are worth keeping an eye on for next year's Poetry Out Loud.
"I've been extremely blessed by this experience and I've really enjoyed my time here and I'm going to miss it a lot," Ditzler said.
Kayla Breese may be reached at [email protected].
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