Poetry Out Loud Contest
Registration
Registration is open for Poetry Out Loud 2026-27. You'll find the school and organization registration form on the West Virginia Poetry Out Loud website. Please register your school or organization by December 11, 2026.
Anthology Update
This year's new anthology of poems is live on PoetryOutLoud.org. The anthology features more than 600 classic and contemporary poems from a wide range of voices, styles and time periods. The anthology includes several featured collections organized by theme, the ever-popular "random poem" button, and a glossary of poetic forms & terms. You'll also notice the return of the 25 lines or fewer category and the Pre-1930 category. (At the state and national finals, students must have three poems prepared. One poem must be 25 lines or fewer and one must be published before 1930. See the Poetry Out Loud Teacher's Guide (PDF) for more details about competition structure and poem eligibility.)
Eligibility
As a reminder, Poetry Out Loud (POL) is open to currently enrolled students in grades 9-12. Student participation begins at the classroom / school level, or at the local level with a sponsoring organization. Winners may then advance to the state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals. Community organizations or homeschool associations may sponsor POL competitions for students not participating in a school-based program. Detailed information about rules and eligibility and how to organize a competition can be found on the Poetry Out Loud website.
Resources
The 2026-2027 Poetry Out Loud Guide for Teachers and Organizers is available as a PDF, and on the Teachers & Organizers page of the Poetry Out Loud website. Please refer to the Guide for detailed information on contest structure, judging, evaluation criteria, rules, tips for contestants, lesson plans, publicity tips, and alignment with standards. The 2026-2027 Judge's Guide (PDF) and other evaluation materials are on the Judging a Competition page. The POL website also includes the current anthology of poems, recitation videos, student resources, and more.
Virtual Competitions
Poetry Out Loud competitions may be held in-person or virtually. For guidance on running a virtual competition, please reference the documents "How to Administer a Poetry Out Loud Virtual Competition" (PDF) and "How to Film a POL Recitation for a Virtual Competition." (PDF)
This year's participation timeline:
- September 2026 through January 2027: Introduce the program, help students select poems and prepare recitations, and hold school and local contests
- December 11, 2026: School / Organization Registration Deadline
- January 15, 2027: Last Day for School and Organization Competitions
- January 22, 2027: Last Day to Register School / Organization Champions & Teachers / Coordinators for Participation in State Finals
- February 11, 2027: Parent / Guardian Release Form for State Finals Deadline
- March 5-6, 2027: WV State Finals at Culture Center in Charleston
- April 26-28, 2027: National Finals in Washington, D.C.
State Finals Registration Forms
State Finals registration forms for students, teachers / coordinators, and parents / guardians are available on the West Virginia Poetry Out Loud website.
POL Evaluation Criteria Updates
Please take time to read and familiarize yourself with the updated evaluation criteria and tips for competitors (PDF) (pages 13-15 in the Teacher's Guide). You'll see that the six evaluation criteria remain the same, but the language for each category has been updated. An updated Scoring Rubric (PDF) is included in this year's Judge's Guide. The updates address these goals:
- Consistency across POL materials
- Stronger emphasis on authenticity
- More objective and specific evaluation language
Please review the updated evaluation criteria and scoring rubric, and incorporate these materials into your preparation with students and judges.
Note about the 2026-27 Anthology of Poems, from the Poetry Out Loud Team at the National Endowment for the Arts: We received many hundreds of poem recommendations from state coordinators, teachers, students and other members of the POL community. Those submissions played a crucial role in shaping the anthology, and we are grateful for the time and care so many of you invested in sharing your favorites with us. As you explore the anthology, you may notice that some favorite poems or poets are not yet included. This is often due to licensing rather than editorial decisions. We continue to acquire new poem licenses and work is already underway expanding the anthology for 2027-28. We look forward to continuing to build a rich, wide-ranging anthology with your partnership and input. Happy reading, exploring, and discovering!