'Poetry Out Loud' State Finals Winners

The Maine Arts Commission’s ‘Poetry Out Loud’ competition hosted its second year of virtual recitations and 10 students rose through the ranks of schoolwide and regional contests to compete in the Maine State Final in early March.

Sofya Lantratova, a senior from George Stevens Academy, is the state champion. Sofya is now on her way to compete in the virtual National Poetry Out Loud Semifinals competition in May. Colette Carrillo, a senior at Waterville Senior High School, finished runner-up.

PHOTO: Sofya Lantratova

For the regional and state finals this year, Maine high school students submitted recorded video recitations that were scored by a panel of judges.

The Maine State Finalists included: Emma Bennett, Baxter Academy of Technology and Science; Emelia Bailey, Westbrook High School; Ogechi Obi, Bangor High School, Sofya Lantratova, George Stevens Academy; Chloe Schueman, Greely High School; Rose Tuttle, Mt. Ararat High School; Brett Palmer, Gardiner Area High School; Julia Ordway, Gorham High School; Colette Carrillo, Waterville Senior High School, Sadie Luehman, Medomak Valley High School.

Sofya, the State Champion, recited Emily Dickinson at The Poetry Slam by Dan Vera, Sonnets from the Portuguese 43: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and We Lived Happily During the War by Ilya Kaminsky.

The National Semifinals, which will stream on Sunday, May 1, 2022. The top nine students will advance to the National Finals, which will stream on Sunday, June 5. Both the semifinals and finals will be streamed at arts.gov.