Poetry Out Loud Charms and Hannah Ruegg ’26 Soars
By Suzanne Morrissey
Among Brewster’s many traditions, the annual Poetry Out Loud competition is my favorite. Call it the English major in me, but there is a special thrill in hearing seven of our students represent their academic teams and stand on stage at a lone microphone to recite words that have moved people, in some cases, for centuries. This year, on January 24, our English department hosted yet another wonderful and diverse Poetry Out Loud. After competing within their grade, one student is recognized to represent the team in Anderson Hall in front of the entire school. This year those students were Diego Gamero del Castillo (Team Wingard), Jack O’Neill (Team Butcher), Rose Sheerin (Team Thomas), Hannah Ruegg (Team Palmer), Meghan Reilly (Team O’Blenis), Logan Cliche (Team Martin), and Gabi Reynolds (Team Cornwell).
In the end, Hannah took the top place at Brewster, went on to the regional competition in Rochester, N.H., and ultimately moved up to the state competition at the State House in Concord in March! Much more on Hannah’s recitation results at the end of this tale, but first, a bit more about this national competition that English Chair Kyle Reynolds has championed at Brewster for years.
Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation program that encourages students to learn great poetry, master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. Through depth of learning, memorization, and performance, the program builds on the spoken word as an art form, inviting the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, contextual analysis, and theater into the classroom.
Brewster’s poetry trailblazers joined 365,000 across the United States in their quest to rise to the top echelons of the regional, state, and ultimately national competitions.
THE PERFORMANCES IN ANDERSON
On the day of the school-wide competition, each student recited two poems and were judged on a scoring rubric that includes physical presence, voice and articulation interpretation, evidence of understanding and overall performance. Judges, including yours truly, are asked to rate each students’ recitation on these points, taking into account the style of delivery, intonation, rhythm, and pacing, among many other nuances. It was fascinating to see how each student interpreted their poem. Some used hand gestures and theatrical presence to move the message forward, others had a very quiet, reserved demeanor—it all depended on the meaning of each poem. A few nerves could be seen around the edges, but overwhelmingly each participant did a strong job presenting their poems. In presenting “When You Are Old” by William Butler Yeats, Diego carried a calm, centered presence on stage and took on the onus of being the first to take the mic, always a brave position to be in! “I really love that poem,” the sophomore from Lexington, Mass. said post-competition, a little wistful that he had stumbled over one tiny part. On his “Acquainted with the Night” by Robert Frost, he represented Team Wingard very well with a pleasing cadence and clear understanding of the poem.
Between recitations emcee Connor Wells interviewed the contestants with rapidfire questions, reminiscent of gametime interviews, asking some students, “How did you think that went?” His famous “Dad Jokes” also kept the crowd smiling as the judges turned in their scores.
Jack O’Neill ’25 of Sanbornville, N.H. handled “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley and “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, with a commanding change of voice throughout the latter that enhanced the recitation. Rose Sheeran ’26 of Ipswich, Mass. used elegant hand movements to convey a message of “I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain” by Emily Dickinson, and later performed “Advice from La Llorona” by Deborah Miranda (an example of a contemporary poem competitors could select). Meghan Reilly ’28 of Wolfeboro shared the timely and powerful “1969” by Alex Dimitrov. In her second selection, she recited “Women” by Louise Bogan, and used incredible dynamics to deliver her lines. Students are, of course, also graded on their accuracy, which was checked word by word by Katie Varga-Wells, sitting front and center.
Curvey Scholar Logan Cliche of nearby Alton took on “Flaxman” by Margaret Fuller and “Poem with Human Intelligence” by J. Estanislao Lopez, which felt extremely timely in its portrayal of chatbots and technology. Gabi Reynolds shared “Harold and the Purple Crayon” by D. Gilson and "It's the Little Towns I Like” by Thomas Lux in a calm and almost reverential interpretation.
INTERNATIONAL INTERLUDE
As rankings were calculated in real time, three international students treated the audience in readings in their first languages. Hans Simon from Osnabrück, Germany shared an excerpt from 1785’s “Prometheus” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, saying that he was the most famous and most hated writer in all of Germany. Laura Otto from Ruderting, Germany read an excerpt from “Abdenlied” by Matthias Claudius with an incredibly tender delivery. In a burst of camaraderie, someone yelled “That’s my roommate!” from the back of the hall, reminding me that Brewster students are known for supporting one another across all of their interests—whether they are athletes, artists, musicians, engineers, volunteers, writers, or many other pursuits in which Bobcats excel. Finally, Amp Padungsak PG of Hatyai, Thailand, read and performed the 303rd verse from a revered Thai text. As Coach Wells reminded the audience, we may not understand the words of our international students as their shared texts, but hearing these recitations showcased the beauty of unfamiliar languages and opened our minds to other cultures.
THE FINAL RESULT—AND MAKING BREWSTER HISTORY
It truly was a difficult decision, but in the end, Hannah ’26 of New Harbor, Maine took home the ceramic pineapple. (Yes, a ceramic pineapple trophy has somehow become the grand prize for this campus event!) Her presentations of Emily Dickinson‘s “It Was Not Death, for I Stood Up” and Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Conqueror Worm” won the panel’s highest votes. In the latter, Hannah earned points for emphasizing consonants in a way that one might expect from a choral performance—and her speedy pace added to the recitation rather than conveying haste.
Hannah’s next step? Reciting and performing at the New Hampshire Regional Poetry Out Loud competition in Rochester, N.H., on February 18, 2025, where this junior brought her confidence and artistic expression to the Opera House stage. The Regional winners then met again in March for the 2025 New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud High School Championship at the State House in Concord, N.H. In addition to “It Was Not Death, for I Stood Up” and “The Conqueror Worm,” Hannah performed “American Smooth” by Rita Dove. And then she made history, becoming the highest-placing Brewster contestant when she was named the Alternate Champion (second place)! Reagan Sutherland from Plymouth Regional High School captured the top spot, and will represent New Hampshire at the national finals, which are scheduled to take place in Washington D.C., May 5-7, 2025. Should Reagan be unable to participate in the finals, however, Hannah will represent the Granite State at that event. Hannah received $100 for her achievement, with a $200 stipend given to Brewster for its poetry book collection.
“The competition was so fun!” she said. “I met so many nice people and I hope I can go back next year. I definitely owe a lot to Mr. Reynolds, Ms. Varga-Wells, and Ms. Baker-McClain, who all helped me choose my poems and practice!” That help from faculty is key, because students must select poems to memorize from an anthology of more than 1,200 gathered by the Poetry Foundation, representing the classic canon of poetry as well as contemporary works. Curious about which ones you might choose? Want to refresh your memory on those you learned in your school days? Check out the options here.
National funding for Poetry Out Loud is provided by the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. And it is administered by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts—a division of the New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources that began in 1965 with legislation designed “to ensure that the role of the arts in the life of our communities will continue to grow and play an ever more significant part in the education and welfare of our citizens.” Funding for programs is provided through state appropriations, a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Conservation License Plate fund. In New Hampshire, additional support comes from Brightspot Consultants; the Currier Museum of Art; the Frost Place; North Country Education Services; the Putnam Foundation, a donor-advised fund of the N.H. Charitable Foundation and Slam Free or Die.
