Winner Abigail Drumm (center right, holding flowers) next to runner-up Marissa Leary on stage with the 19 other 2025 Poetry Out Loud contestants.
Reminder Publishing photo by Mike Lydick
AGAWAM — Abigail “Abby” Drumm was ecstatic about winning the high school’s annual poetry competition. However, this isn’t the first time she’s won the contest. It’s not even the second time.
The senior became first three-time winner with her performance at the 2025 contest. “When I first heard my name called, I was almost overwhelmed,” said Drumm. “I couldn’t imagine this when I decided to participate in the contest during my sophomore year.”
The competition is part of a national performance contest for high schoolers called Poetry Out Loud. Students recited works they selected from an anthology of more than 900 classic and contemporary poems.
It all started in December in six English classrooms as ninth through 12th graders — a total of 250 students — competed to become finalists. Drumm was among the 21 who advanced to the schoolwide contest on Jan. 23.
Reminder Publishing photo by Mike Lydick
“I entered the contest this year, just like in years past, because I love poetry and performing,” said Drumm. “It’s the meeting of two worlds for me.” From her previous experiences in the competition, she learned to prioritize her understanding of the poem before memorizing every single word.
“By relating to the perspective of the poet, and thinking about what the purpose of the piece is as well as the journey it takes to get there, I can better my performance,” she added.
Runner up Marissa Leary will represent AHS if Drumm is unable to attend the semifinal or state competitions. Leary said she was hoping to be the winner, but is still excited about her second-place finish.
“I honestly was relieved when my name was announced,” she said. “Even though in the moment I felt like I recited my poems well, afterwards I could hardly remember what I sounded like,” said Leary, a junior.
“I am disappointed to not take first place, but I already had a feeling that Abby would win. She just puts a lot of passion into Poetry Out Loud and obviously it paid off with her success as a three-time winner.”
The 10th annual contest featured two rounds of students reciting poems. In the first round, all contestants participated to narrow the competition to 10 finalists. In the second round, finalists recited different poems than in the first round so judges could decide which student will represent AHS at the regional level.
The challenge for students goes beyond making a connection with literature. The goal is to memorize a poem and then convincingly recite it, word for word, line by line in front of their peers and judges.
Students tackle this difficult challenge in a variety of ways, from writing poems on notecards to recording themselves to rehearsing with teachers, families or friends.
“I always start my paraphrasing then analyze each line to uncover the meaning behind the piece, which I believe helps me connect with the poem and memorize it easier. If it makes complete sense to me, I am able to help others make sense of the poem through my recitation,” said Drumm, who spent five to six hours analyzing and memorizing the two poems,
“I’m lucky enough to have a pretty good memory,” added Drumm, who recited “Sonnet 15” by William Shakespeare in the final round.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
This was Leary’s third year as a finalist in the contest. Her strategy begins with annotating her poems using methods her 10th grade English teacher taught her. After that she listens to the poem read aloud on repeat whenever she can and tries to recite it with the recording.
“I also write the stanzas repeatedly from memory until there are no mistakes. The biggest help comes from my dad. He listens and checks my recitation while also giving me advice on presentation and pronunciation,” said Leary, who recited “How Dark the Beginning” by Maggie Smith in the second round.
Leary spent about a day on her poems to get the them memorized and another week to get down the exact way she wanted to present them.
Leary said after making it to the final round her first year, her “competitive nature” pushed her to take her second year more seriously. “I had ended up getting third place. This year I was really hoping to win and had my poems already picked out as soon as last year’s competition ended.” Even though she didn’t win, her progress from low effort to high effort paid off in the progressive trajectory in her placements.
The most enjoyable part of this year’s contest for Leary was a friendly rivalry between her and her friend Maddy. “We were in the same class but we were able to participate against each other which was very fun. The most challenging part of the contest was the waiting — I was the 16th student to go up to the microphone, so sitting is nerve racking.”
Drumm said she enjoys the poems being recited by her fellow students, especially poems she hasn’t before and that are read enthusiastically. “Although not everyone may enjoy reciting, seeing both classroom and school competitions, I could see when other people were passionate and engaged, and it captivated me. Not only that, but after every performance, I learn something new. “
She said the most challenging part of the contest is staying calm while on stage. “It takes everything in me to not bounce my leg, listen to the pit in my stomach, or feel my heart practically beating out of my chest. Even after performing for so long, I can’t help but get nervous. So, I convince myself that it’s just my way of being excited.”
The other 19 contestants included Iraj Ahmed, Mia Beaudry, Domenic Costa, Lincoln Despard, Omar Elgendy, Maddy Elwell, Emma Hart, Arina Kovalenko, Jace Mansur, Aubrey Maynard, Hazel Meyer, Bion Mitchell, Domenic Pisano, Violet Pryce. Gabriella Ramos, Zyla Rivera, Nazo Sahibzay, Devin Soucy and Aiden Wykes.
Sophomore Andrew Bagley, and juniors Sydney Frasier and Dawood Atanane served as emcees. They introduced contestants and offered a little humor when talking about poets and their poems.
Drumm will compete at the semifinal level competition March 9 in Springfield. Winners of that contest advance to the state competition March 16 in Boston. National finals are early May in Washington, D.C.
