The results of the first Lexington High School Poetry Out Loud competition, which was held on Jan. 17, have been released.

Joanna Liu, a senior at LHS, won the competition with her performance of How to Triumph Like a Girl from Ada Limón’s poetry collection, Bright Dead Things. She will advance to the regional round of the competition, which is held in early March. 

“It’s always been one of my favorite poems – simple, yet powerful, Limón speaks to the joys of girlhood and the wild, animalistic power that lies inside all of us, if we choose to tap into it. I’ve seen it performed wonderfully over the years by friends or even other Poetry Out Loud competitors, and wanted to present my own interpretation of this piece,” Liu said. 

Liu suggested the idea of a Poetry Out Loud competition in LHS to the English Department’s Celebrating English Committee last fall. 

“I think poetry is often misunderstood as an archaic and classical written art. I attended Poetry Out Loud to disprove this notion and showcase the real, contemporary power of poetry as performance: how it allows us to reach out towards our community and impart a meaningful message,” Liu said. 

Liu encouraged other young poets to explore the art and branch out into the community.

“Read a lot of poetry and see what resonates with you. It’s also beneficial to find a community of fellow poets and search for performance or competition opportunities like Poetry Out Loud. Trust me, there’s a lot of amazing and important things you can do with poetry and writing,” Liu said.

What makes a good poetry reading? Factors like timing, tone, and phrasing are key. However, Liu pointed out that poets should also try to appeal to the audience and put their own spin on the original material.

“You’re not just reading. You’re really feeling the poem and presenting it to the world,” Liu said.