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PREPPED POEMS. Sofia Rivera's practice poems include highlights and annotations to help her with timing and expression during recitation. (Reprinted with Permission from Sophia Rivera)

Concentrate. Say every word. Express emotion. Articulate every phrase. Don’t mess up.

Poetry Out Loud is an arts education program that aims to encourage the study of poetry by providing students with a unique platform to recite their favorite poems in a personalized and expressive manner. The South Central Service Cooperative facilitates programs and services for school districts across central Minnesota and holds Minnesota’s Poetry Out Loud competitions.

At Minnesota’s regional competition on Feb. 16, freshman Sofia Rivera placed first, and senior Amalia Laguna finished fourth. The top three placements moved on to the state competition on Mar. 1, and if they qualify, nationals. Poetry Out Loud competitions are judged on five criteria: articulation, accuracy, overall performance, understanding, and physical presence.

Rivera chose the poem “Acquainted with the Night” by Robert Frost. “I picked it because it’s really melodic and beautiful,” Rivera said. “I didn’t even need to memorize it based on words because, in my head, it flowed.”

For Rivera’s second poem, she chose “Cartoon Physics” by Nick Flynn, a poem known for its message: “It is about coming of age and includes all these juxtapositions that I thought were so fascinating,” Rivera said. “I picked them together because they showcase my different sides of reading.”

Laguna chose the poems “Movement Song” by Audre Lorde and “How to Break a Curse” by Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné. “I really enjoyed reading them and thought they were really pretty and resonated with me,” she said.

This year was Rivera’s first experience participating in Poetry Out Loud, though she has been involved in stage work since elementary school and always enjoyed writing poetry. Meanwhile, Laguna competed in Poetry Out Loud during her junior year at US English teacher Evan Klavon’s encouragement. Both Rivera and Laguna prepared for the competitions through repetition, including practicing their poems in the car.

“[The poems] would always be running through my head,” Rivera said. The process of understanding a poem can take days. Wording and emphasizing phrases can influence how the audience perceives a performance.

“I always read first and make sure I understand the meaning, then I start to play with intonation, volume, and hand gestures,” Rivera said.

Laguna chose to incorporate personal experiences into her performance. “I try to think about [experiences in my life] and relate them to what I am reading and that can help me channel the emotion I want to present,” Laguna said.

For Rivera, the road to her success was not without challenges—specifically, memorization: “One issue for me is when a mistake becomes muscle memory, it takes a while to fix it,” Rivera said.

In the future, Rivera hopes to compete at Nationals and eventually publish her own poetry. Rivera recommends Poetry Out Loud: “It’s really fantastic; there is not a lot of stress because it is an art form,” she said. “Anyone who is interested should express themselves and join the stage.”

Rivera competed in the state tournament on Mar. 1 at Mankato State University. She placed second in the state.