Why was Poetry Out Loud created?
In the recent “Reading at Risk” survey, the National Endowment for the Arts documented an increasing rate of decline in literary reading, especially among younger readers. To encourage the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry, the NEA and the Poetry Foundation are jointly supporting Poetry Out Loud. Poetry Out Loud builds on the recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as demonstrated by the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of rap music among our youth. By performing great works of literature, students can master public-speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn more about their cultural heritage by inviting the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into the English class.
