Poetry Recitation Competition Highlights

Congratulations to Henry Buckner '27 and Phoebe Dellenbaugh ’29 on their 2025 Poetry Recitation Competition Wins!

Upper School students at Albany Academy recently took part in the annual Poetry Reciting Competition, with eight finalists advancing to recite poems on stage in front of their peers and a panel of faculty judges.

As part of the Upper School English curriculum, all students memorize and perform a recitation of a poem of their choice. A successful recitation goes beyond memorization and is a performance that shows true understanding of the mood, tone, speaker's attitude, and implications of the text. Pace, volume, articulation, tone, eye contact, body language, and a true understanding of the poem's meaning are all important factors. 

At the competition on December 17, two finalists students from each Upper School grade recited their selected poems. The judges based each performance based on the criteria above, and on December 18 winners were announced. 

Winners Henry Buckner '27 recited "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll, and Phoebe Dellenbaugh ’29 recited "What are you doing?" by Diana Cristurean. Congratulations to all the students who brought poetry to life through their performances!