The lights dim, signifying to the audience that the awaited evening is about to begin. Eloquent jazz music makes its way through the theater as the chatter simmers down. The first poet makes their way onto the stage, first saying their recited poem’s title and author.
Just before the reciter begins, the reciter looks down at the floor, and their mood changes as they shift into character, telling, but without saying, that the audience is about to hear from a “new” person.
For each individual that decided to grace the stage with their recited poems, some each had noticeable, distinct features that separated them from all:
“If you cannot understand English, you will be moved out of the way… You were detained for interrogation because you fit the profile,” Valerie Questell says as she recites “We are not responsible” by Harryette Mullen. Her poem describes the hectic moments minorities experience in this country daily.
“If you are preparing to leap from a balcony, then you are mourning the loss of your childhood,” says Anjali Yalamanchi, reciting “Dream Journal” by Kareem Tayyar. The numerous stanzas included in this poem leave an imagination for many to roam.
“Obsessed by memory and lack of memory for the way things were—I don’t think I’d recognize you if I saw you on the street, though in the past so obsessed I thought almost everyone was you. Obsessed with leaving people, so I can obsess about them again,” Sneha Matthews recites “Poem Toward People” by Ariel Yelen, a poem that portrays the teenage life of high schoolers. While Matthews was nervous when reciting this poem, it was her composure through it all that left a noticeable mark on the audience.
Many reciters did a wonderful recital of their respective poems, and others had a bit of a struggle, which makes Recite Night so diverse. The way students deliver their final attempt at reciting their poem to the audience is a journey that onlookers witness.
The art of reciting a poem takes courage and confidence. Continuously saying the lines of a poem before performing may seem easy, but once on the stage with a room full of people, and the only source of light on you, a sense of anxiety and nervousness can dissolve that expectation.
The top 10 winners of NEHS’ Recite Night were Janessa Montilla, Faith Banossian, Kiley Irizarry, Alexandria Gopee, Shivraj Singh, Corene Scotland, Dante Perez, Lindsey Smith, Emmanuel Baptiste, and Sade Alo.
With over 20 reciters at NEHS’ Recite Night, the annual event left yet another impact on all who watched. From poems about modern-day racism to emotionally connected poems related to personal life experiences, they continue to fill the emotional holes in our hearts.
