LITTLE SILVER — Red Bank Regional High School (RBR) has announced that senior Patrick Monaghan came in second place during the competitive New Jersey Regional Poetry Out Loud State Championship, which was held at The College of New Jersey March 17. This is his second visit to the Poetry Out Loud stage.
“Patrick has a unique talent in that he gets to the heart and soul of each poem. He’s not just reciting words, he’s conveying a message that the audience receives. During the competition, the audience’s response to Patrick’s performances was powerful,” said Andrew Forrest, RBR English teacher and Poetry Out Loud coordinator, in a press release.
“The fact that a student can convey the message of a poem like that is exactly what Poetry Out Loud is about. Poetry is not just for folks sitting in Ivory Towers. It’s about the human experience at all levels. Patrick’s performances speak to those levels.”
For his performance, Monaghan performed works by Thomas Sayers Ellis, Shakespeare and Kevin Young. “It is a challenge and an honor to be allowed to bring a poem’s message to an audience of diverse ears at such a … competitive platform that is Poetry Out Loud. I’m so grateful to everyone who listened to the poems I recited and that I had this opportunity to learn and be the channel for these amazing poems I’ve had the pleasure of knowing,” he said.
