The Poetry By Heart competition
The Poetry By Heart competition, spearheaded by former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion and educator Dr Julie Blake, invites pupils across England to engage with, learn and recite poems. It encourages teachers, schools and students to find a greater connection with words, form and performance.
Established a decade ago, Poetry By Heart challenges the notion that memorising poetry is outdated or elitist. Critics initially questioned its relevance, especially in state schools, arguing that modern students might prefer writing their own verses or consuming poetry through digital media. Concerns also arose about whether pupils, accustomed to instant online gratification, could commit poems to memory without resorting to rote learning.
Poets and educators, however, offer a different perspective. Many believe that memorising poems is a life-affirming action that will remain with individuals throughout their lives. Current Poet Laureate Simon Armitage explains, “The poems we learn when we’re young stay with us for the rest of our lives. They become embedded in our thinking and remind us who we are.” This sentiment echoes the views of numerous poets who emphasise the enduring value of internalised poetry.
Poetry By Heart has focused on making poetry accessible and enjoyable for young people. The programme promotes exploring a wide range of poems, encouraging students to find those that resonate with them. Alice Oswald, another prominent poet, highlights how poems and memory intertwine, stating, “The memory goes easily into a poem and grows there.”
Poetry By Heart Competition
Participants in the competition select poems they love, learn them by heart, and perform them in school or college settings. Teachers record these performances and submit them to a panel of expert judges. The competition features two main categories: Classic, which requires learning two poems from different historical periods, and Freestyle, which allows more creative expression, including group performances with added elements like music and costumes.
The impact of Poetry By Heart extends beyond the competition itself. Over the past ten years, countless teachers, librarians, and students have shared their positive experiences, noting significant educational and personal benefits.
Students often report a sense of achievement when they successfully memorise and perform a poem. Pupils can directly measure their progress. Furthermore, collaborative performances in the competition teach cooperation, trust, and teamwork among participants.
The process of learning a poem by heart also enhances focus and concentration. Teachers observe improvements in reading fluency, vocabulary, and the musicality of language among younger children. Teenagers benefit from articulating complex emotions and acting out different voices.
Memorising poetry also appears to improve general memory skills, as students who master one poem find it easier to learn others. The ability to perform a poem develops oracy skills, such as managing pace, timing, and body language, which are difficult to teach in the classroom.
Participation in Poetry By Heart not only allows students to internalise these works, but offers a opportunities to explore diverse and inclusive poem selections to ensure all children to feel ownership of the pieces they learn.
Learning poems by heart helps students experience the rhythm, rhyme, and music of the language in an intuitive way. This embodied understanding can make poetry more accessible and enjoyable.
The Poetry By Heart competition runs from National Poetry Day in October until the end of March and registration and participation are free.
Our Verdict
Inviting students to explore, memorise, and perform, Poetry By Heart will help teachers to instil a love of verse and a window to a world beyond comprehensions and exams. As Simon Armitage notes, these poems become “personal and invaluable, free gifts there for the taking.”
To find out more, visit the Poetry By Heart website. For more public speaking and recital competitions, see our Children’s Competitions for Public Speaking and Reading Aloud page.
