
Poetry Out Loud

Poetry Out Loud is a national recitation contest that celebrates the power of the spoken word and a mastery of public speaking skills while cultivating self-confidence and an appreciation of students’ literary heritage as they take poetry from the page to the stage. Poetry Out Loud has inspired hundreds of thousands of high school students to discover and appreciate both classic and contemporary poetry.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the decision by the National Endowment for the Arts to make the National Semi-Finals and Finals virtual, the 2022 Poetry Out Loud Massachusetts Contest will be virtual. Please see updated dates below:
Massachusetts Regional Semi-Finals Virtual Broadcasts via Zoom – Saturday March 12, 2022
- Semi Final #1- Saturday March 12, 2022 at 10am
Click here to Register for Semi-Final #1 Broadcast - Semi Final #2- Saturday March 12, 2022 at 12:30 PM
Click here to Register for Semi-Final #2 Broadcast - Semi Final #3- Saturday March 12, 2022 at 3PM
Click here to Register for Semi-Final #3 Broadcast
Massachusetts State Finals Virtual Broadcast via Zoom – Sunday March 13, 2022
- Massachusetts State Finals- Sunday March 13th at 9:30AM
Click here to Register for the Finals Broadcast
If you have any questions, please email poetryoutloud@huntingtontheatre.org
Read the program:
For more information on Poetry Out Loud, visit the official website at poetryoutloud.org. For information about the Massachusetts competition, please email the Education Department at poetryoutloud@huntingtontheatre.org.
“POETRY OUT LOUD helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. By encouraging your students to study, memorize, and perform some of the most influential and timeless poems of the English language, you immerse them in powerful expression and provocative ideas. Although many students may initially be nervous about reciting in front of their peers, the experience will prove invaluable — not only in school, but also in life. Much of the future success of students will depend on how well they present themselves in public. Public speaking is a skill people use every day on both the workplace and the community.”
— National Endowment for the Arts & The Poetry Foundation
Presented by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, in partnership with the Mass Cultural Council and The Huntington.


