Every year, students from across the country compete in a poetry recitation competition called Poetry Out Loud, which seeks to help students build their confidence and public speaking skills. The event starts at the classroom level, then advances to the school-wide level, then to the regional and state competition, which culminates at the national level.
For the second year in a row, junior Grayson Merrick has taken the top spot in the St. X school competition. Facing off against some of the best public speakers in the school, Merrick delivered an amazing performance that set him apart from the rest.
Even after last year’s victory, the sense of accomplishment still felt just as rewarding for him this time around.
“It feels like I just drank three cups of coffee,” Merrick explained. “I feel absolutely amazing, but not like I’m gonna sugar crash. I just feel great. I’m so happy right now.”
While Poetry Out Loud is largely an individual competition, there’s no doubt that outside influences can greatly impact the performers. Merrick credits many people of assisting him towards his ultimate win, especially his former English teacher, Mr. Mike Brockman.
“He was very difficult—I’m not gonna sugarcoat that,” Merrick said about his favorite English teacher. “But he was very encouraging to me, and he cares a lot about writing and literature, and I can really respect that.”
Being able to speak confidently in front of a crowd is one of the most vital characteristics of a Poetry Out Loud competitor; however, the selection of a good poem and the preparation phase are just as important. Clearly, Merrick has honed in on all parts of this arduous process, and he doesn’t just pick the first poem he sees. During his selection process, he avoids those that are too long or scary, and purposefully picks ones that have a healthy amount of repetition. He then memorizes the words first before figuring out how he will pronounce them on stage.
As the school champion, Merrick will now move on to the state championship in Frankfort. If he continues his winning streak, he could go all the way to nationals!
