Poetry Connects Us as Humans

Poetry Out Loud is a National organization that promotes the oral interpretation of poetry.

Dawn Betner, Special to The Voyager|April 19, 2021

Photo courtesy of Dawn Betner

Poetry Out Loud meeting on 4/15/21 (Back row from left to right: Mrs. Pomerantz, Mrs. Steller, Dawn Betner Front row from left to right: Ria Raval, Megan Miller, Bryce Dershem). Not pictured are loyal participants: Adrian Moreno, Arianna Reischer, and Rachel Squire

Every Thursday, a group of Eastern poetry connoisseurs gathers and shares some of their favorite poetry (both original and poems from the outside) as well as life stories, weekly updates, and snacks.

The meetings last anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. Not a minute is wasted. They cover classics, originals, and poems that deal with our emotions, national issues, and more.

Along with reading, they write their own pieces, whether it be an acrostic, cento, blackout, or even just something that was just written out of emotion.

During the 45 minutes, they also discuss weekly happenings such as family issues, worldwide issues, or even something funny that happened when walking into the classroom.

While reading, they also get a deeper dive into emotions and connections that deal with the poem. They talk about growing up, finding yourself, working, family, and more. With the two generations that come together into this club, there is so much to learn and experience.

Through dissecting poems, they learn more about each other and their personal connections. They even find connections through one another by connecting to poems.

This club helps you to open up through writing and allows you to show a side of you that others may not see. Some members who thoroughly dissect a poem may open up an idea to another member who didn’t catch onto the poem in the same way.

Poetry Out Loud allows people to see a poem in a way that someone else may have never seen it.

If you’re looking for a way to express yourself or even connect with others, you might consider joining Poetry Out Loud. You may not think that poetry is your thing, but with the right inspiration and people, anything can be your thing.

For more information, check out https://www.poetryoutloud.org/

If you’d like to join Poetry Out Loud, contact Mrs. Steller or Mrs. Pomerantz or join our Google Classroom with this code: fwl5gju

Here are links to a few of the winners from 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDQkN73bHMw

2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De9Jwe1ogJI