Homer High School held its 2026 Poetry Out Loud competition on Tuesday, January 20th, in the school library, showcasing talented students and continuing a decade-long tradition of student poetry recitation.
The high school competition was held in partnership with Poetry Out Loud, a national organization that collaborates with over 21,000 schools and is committed to improving students' public speaking skills, building confidence, and teaching literary history, according to the website (https://poetryoutloud.org/about-poetry-out-loud/).
The 2026 competition featured 14 select students, each of whom had previously performed in their English classes and were chosen to compete. It was judged by four local community members and evaluated based on categories like voice articulation, physical presence, and overall performance.
This year's third-place winner is Sophomore Daniel Christ, second-place winner senior Aiden Crane, and first-place winner Sophomore Robby Wilson.
Robby Wilson, the first-place awardee, performed " The Conquer Worm, " by Edgar Allan Poe. In an interview with KBBI, he shared that he chose the poem for its theatrical elements and rhyme scheme. He shared a few stanzas of the poem to be aired on the radio.
The Conquer Worm
But see, amid the mimic rout,
A crawling shape intrude!
A blood-red thing that writhes from out
The scenic solitude!
It writhes!—it writhes!—with mortal pangs
The mimes become its food,
Out—out are the lights—out all!
And, over each quivering form,
The curtain, a funeral pall,
Comes down with the rush of a storm,
While the angels, all pallid and wan,
Uprising, unveiling, affirm
That the play is the tragedy, “Man,”
And its hero, the Conqueror Worm.
Robby will advance to perform “The Conqueror Worm”, along with two other poems of his selection, at the statewide competition in Juneau on March 9th. The winner of the state-wide competition will be awarded $200 and advance to a national competition.
Homer High School language arts teacher and Poetry Out Loud Coordinator, Mrs. Suzanne Bishop, delights in teaching students poetry, taking time each year before the competition to analyze and create small poetry projects with students. She encourages the community to listen to students showcasing their talent when they have the opportunity.
“There's something so magical about just sitting and listening to young adults recite poetry. It’s such a feel-good. It’s time well spent”, she said.
The 2026 Alaska Poetry Out Loud Competition will be broadcast live on March 9th on KTOO-FM, Juneau. Visit http://poetryoutloud.org to learn more.
Reporting from Homer High School, this is Senior Marina Co.
