Elmwood student reaches semi-finals in national poetry competition

Drawing on her flair for the performing arts, an Elmwood High School student advanced to the semi-finals in a national poetry recitation competition.

Grade 11 student Shanice Raymond was one of 42 students chosen nationwide as a semi-finalist for the Poetry In Voice recitation competition. The annual event is just one of many ways in which Poetry In Voice promotes poetry in the classroom.

“I was very surprised and happy about it, and also very honoured,” Shanice said. 

Due to the pandemic, Poetry In Voice competitions have had a video-submission format for the past two years. Students and schools select poems from the Poetry In Voice website and work to create a compelling interpretation for judges.

Teacher Jess Willow, who is also the head of Elmwood’s performing and visual arts departments, has coordinated and coached small student teams in poetry recitation competitions for six years.

Ms. Willow had selected Shanice for competitions in previous years, feeling she would be a natural fit for the challenge. Shanice is often involved with Elmwood’s performing arts community, including theatrical productions and choir; she has also been training as a dancer for many years.

Shanice committed to the competition once again this year, but under a tighter deadline than usual; working with Ms. Willow, she had about a week to perfect her delivery and record her poems for submission.

“I knew Shanice could make it happen because we’ve worked together already for so many years,” Ms. Willow said.

“We borrowed a room, set up the equipment and it only took her six takes to get her two videos finished, which was phenomenal.”

Shanice submitted two recitals for competition: “Sorting Through Documents at Dawn” by Filipina-Canadian poet Shirley Camia and “Enigma” by long-time Canadian spoken word artist Andrea Thompson. 

“Sorting Through Documents at Dawn” reflects on the loss of a loved one, while Thompson’s “Enigma” deals with the juxtaposition of personal/inner identity with ancestral history.

Shanice said she felt particularly drawn to “Enigma,” which is a reflection by Andrea Thompson on her mixed-ancestry.

“I’m mixed as well, so I felt an immediate connection,” Shanice said. 

“Talking about blood, tracing ancestral history, races blending in veins, being mixed…I understood that and I thought it was interesting. I thought it was funny that I found this poem that was almost made for me in a way.”

Along with memorization and oratorical style, students also have to consider other elements of performance, such as their facial expressions, posture and movement.

“When I read the poem, I think about what they’re saying and how can I bring this into the physical actions,” Shanice said. “Being in dance for ten years, I think that’s help me put motion into the poetry.”

Ms. Willow praised Shanice’s preparation: “Shanice did a great job of rehearsing and figuring out what she wanted to do for the actions and arm movements during the poems. That makes my job so much easier, because she’s already committed to the poem. There’s not as much that I need to give coaching for, I can just give her a little bit of feedback.”

While Shanice was not among the nine national finalists, she and the other semi-finalists will each receive $250 in prize money for their achievements. 

“One of the criteria (for judging) is that students have to show they have understood the poem and that they’ve captured the poet’s intent, and I think Shanice did that,” Ms. Willow said. “She was amazing.”

Shanice is still currently entered in the People’s Choice category for the competition. You can watch Shanice and her fellow poets’ performances and cast your vote at https://www.poetryinvoice.com/peoples-choice. Voting concludes on March 29, 7 p.m. Central Standard Time.

The nine finalists will participate in the national finals on April 21; the event will be held online at https://www.poetryinvoice.com/recite/senior-nationals.