1.  Select a poem from the list provided. You are also welcome to choose a piece of material from the official Poetry Out Loud collection.

2. Competition requires the title, author and poem be recited as printed. No additional introduction is needed.

3.  Practice/prepare the poem for your recitation to be judged at one or more of our Poetry Speaks events (Mankato, Twin Cities, Rochester, or Duluth)

4.  Memorization is optional. Use of a script is allowed.  

5. All Poetry Speaks events will be live, but contestants have the option to submit a recorded performance for judging if you are not able to attend the event in person.

6.  This is not an official Poetry Out Loud event. Event winners will not advance to additional levels of competition sponsored by our event partners.

7. Each Poetry Speaks event will feature student performances as well as performances by professional poets from Minnesota and an "after party" where students, adult poets and judges can visit and discuss mentoring and opportunities in the poetry community.

8.  Parents, friends and family are invited to attend Poetry Speaks live events. Please provide an estimate of the number of guests so safe venues can be selected for all events.

9.  Event venues will require guests to wear masks dependent on local requirements at the time of the competition. Students may choose to perform with or without masks as they will be positioned a generous distance from audience members and others.

10. Contestants participating via recording will be asked to submit a .mp4 file of their recording to contest officials at least one week prior to each event.

11. Registration deadline to participate in any of the events is Friday, June 25. There is no cost to participate in or attend a Poetry Speaks event.