With a passion for the art of poetry and the spoken word, a McIntosh High School student has secured a place in the 2020 Poetry Out Loud state competition.

The culmination of hours of work has paid off for ninth grader Alex Huff as he is one of four winners in the region who will compete against other regional winners at the state level next month at the Atlanta History Center. The students had to memorize two poems and recite them on stage. They were judged on everything from overall performance to accuracy to their interpretation of the poet’s words. Huff recited “Violins” by Rowan Richardo Phillips and “Blade, Unplugged” by Tim Seibles.

Poetry Out Loud is a national program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation that encourages high school students to learn about poetry through memorization and recitation of the written word. Participants improve their public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn great poetry in literature.

The competition, now in its 15th year, begins in classrooms around the country. Students memorize and recite poems, choosing from a list of over 900 options. Classroom winners compete at their schools, then regionally, and eventually at their state finals.

Georgia’s winner will represent the state at the national Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington, D.C. in April.