Senior Poets Perform with Passion

As a culminating activity in Alicia Abood’s senior Poetry elective, students invite parents/guardians and the community to attend a live poetry reading showcasing their passion and growth as poets throughout the semester.

The 18 seniors in this class had a range of experience with poetry, from those with some understanding to those who had been reading and writing poetry for years. However, this event was not about placing one poem over another; it was about a group of students highlighting a different side of their classmates. To this end, each student introduced a class member to the audience who had spent time reviewing their compiled poems from the semester, their personal “Manuscript.” With this personal introduction, the audience then heard from the poets as each chose a special piece to share.

Abood commented, “So often, what students create in the class is not seen beyond the classroom, so this day feels like a real treat—to invite family members and others in the building to hear students read their work. A highlight this year was getting to hear the personalized and heartfelt introductions the students wrote for one another. It’s evident they put good care into how they wanted to invite their classmates and friends to the podium.”

All those in attendance enjoyed a wonderful view into a range of types and tones of poetry that offered tremendous insight into these budding minds before they began their last semester at Parker.

Click here for photos.