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Section 1006: POETRY INTERPRETATION (2008-2009 Constitution)
(a) PURPOSE OF THE CONTEST. The purpose of this contest is to encourage the student to understand, experience and share poetry through the art of oral interpretation.
(1) Oral Interpretation. Oral interpretation, or the study of literature through its performance, can be defined as a demonstration of analysis, performance and communication skills offered publicly on behalf of literature.
(2) Goals of Oral Interpretation. Oral interpretation focuses on literature in performance through expressive oral reading. The goals of this contest are to encourage the contestant’s exploration of a variety of literary selections, and to enhance the performer’s and audience’s appreciation of literature through the performer’s interpretation of the work.
(3) Questions. The oral interpreter should work from these questions:
(A) What elements of the poem are important to performance?
(B) What physical, vocal, intellectual and emotional resources can the performer bring to the poem?
(C) How can this poem be communicated to the audience?
(D) What kind of introduction and commentary will be most effective?
(b) ENTRIES.
(1) Representation. Each participant school in all conferences may enter three students in the contest.
(2) Eligibility. Each contestant must be eligible under Subchapter M. Only students in high school are eligible for this contest. Poetry contestants shall not compete at district in prose interpretation or in Lincoln-Douglas debate. See Section 1000 for specific speech eligibility requirements.
(c) CONTEST RULES AND GUIDELINES.
(1) Selection of Categories. Categories are chosen by the UIL staff and the Prose and Poetry Advisory Committee, utilizing suggestions from high school speech coaches and university speech faculty.
(2) Category Restrictions. Material chosen for use in either category of Poetry Interpretation shall meet the following restrictions:
(A) all selections shall be published, printed material; Internet material must be published concurrently in hard copy;
(B) selections from plays or screen plays shall not be used in either category;
(C) song lyrics published only as music shall not be used in either category;
(D) no contestant shall use an individual poet in more than one category in the contest;
(E) no contestant shall use selections from the same literary work more than one year at UIL State Meet; and
(F) selections shall be read in the English translation; however, incidental use of foreign language words and phrases in any selection may be used as in the original.
(3) Category Guidelines. The categories are designed to encourage students to explore the wide variety of feeling and form available in poetry. The contestant shall prepare selections from both categories A and B. The categories are discussed and defined in more detail in the UIL Prose and Poetry Handbook available through the League office and on the UIL web site. Coaches are responsible for reviewing these publications in advance of the contest.
(4) Category A: Exploring Excellence in Poetry. The contestant shall perform a published poem, multiple poems, or excerpts of poems, written by an award-winning poet. All poems or excerpts of poems read shall be written by a single poet. Works by anonymous poets are not acceptable. Woven programs are prohibited in Category A. See the UIL Prose and Poetry Handbook for clarification. The poet used in this category shall not be used in Category B of poetry. The poet selected for this category shall have won one of the approved awards listed below. Nominees and finalists are not eligible. Any published poem by the award-winning poet may be used.
(A) Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.
(B) National Book Award for Poetry.
(C) PEN Voelcker Award for Poetry.
(D) PEN Joyce Osterweil Award for Poetry.
(E) PEN Beyond Margins Award.
(F) Pushcart Prize for Poetry.
(G) Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Poetry.
(H) Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry.
(I) Cave Canem Poet Winners.
(J) First Book Awards for Poetry from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas.
(K) Academy Fellowship.
(L) Frost Medal for Distinguished Achievement.
(M) Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award.
(N) Kate Tufts Discovery Award.
(O) National Book Critics Circle Awards.
(P) Lenore Marshall Prize.
(Q) Witter Bynner Poetry Prize.
No other award lists will be accepted.
(5) Documentation for Category A. In order to meet category restrictions, the contestant shall provide proof their selection is published in hard copy. Examples of acceptable proof include the original published source or a photocopy of the Library of Congress cataloguing information. If the selection is drawn from a literary collection, the contestant must supply the original source or a photocopy of the table of contents that designates the title of the book and proof the specific selection is included in that book, or an online printout proving the selection is included in the published collection. For Category A, the contestant also shall provide published proof that the poet is listed as an award recipient on one of the approved award lists. If an online data service is used for documentation, contestants should print the home page/main index page of the site from which the documentation was retrieved. Printouts of the documentation and the home page should include the URL of the web sites. See the latest UIL Prose and Poetry Handbook and the UIL web site for detailed information about acceptable documentation. Contest directors will be instructed to ask for proof the selection is published and the poet has won a designated award prior to the beginning of the round. Students shall not be allowed to compete without sufficient documentation. Documentation check may be done in advance of the meet, in a general assembly for contestants in the poetry contest, or in the room(s) where contestants will be judged.
(6) Category B: Exploring Poetry. The contestant shall perform published poetry. In this category, the contestant shall select one of the following options for performance: 1) perform a single poem or excerpt of a poem by one poet; 2) perform a thematic collection of up to six poems by one or more poets. The thematic collection may be woven or it may incorporate transitions without weaving. The introduction and/or transitional material should be used to help the audience identify the theme and connection of the poetry. If the program is woven, it must be stated in the introduction. The poet(s) used in this category shall not be used in Category A of poetry. Works by anonymous poets are permissible in this category only. The goal of this category is to explore poetic forms that may include, but are not limited to the following: classical, slam, beat, narrative, blank verse, lyrical and free verse. The contestant and/or coach should refer to the current UIL Prose and Poetry Handbook in regards to weaving of poetry.
(7) Documentation for Category B. In order to meet category restrictions, the contestant shall provide proof their selection is published in hard copy. Examples of acceptable proof include the original published source or a photocopy of the Library of Congress cataloguing information. If the selection is drawn from a literary collection, the contestant must supply the original source or a photocopy of the table of contents that designates the title of the book and proof the specific selection is included in that book, or an online printout proving the selection is included in the published collection. If an online data service is used for documentation, contestants should print the home page/main index page of the site from which the documentation was retrieved. Printouts of the documentation and the home page should include the URL of the web sites. See the latest UIL Prose and Poetry Handbook and the UIL web site for detailed information about acceptable documentation. Contest directors will be instructed to ask for proof that the selection is published prior to the beginning of the round. Students shall not be allowed to compete without sufficient documentation. Documentation check may be done in advance of the meet, in a general assembly for the contestants in the poetry contest, or in the room(s) where contestants will be judged.
(8) Standards. In selecting material to be read in the contest, the coach and student are challenged to explore literature of high quality and are encouraged to prepare selections of literary merit that the same student has not performed in a previous year. Students shall not use selections from the same literary work more than one year at UIL State Meet and strongly are discouraged from repeating the same selection at district or regional contests that they performed in a previous year. Selections used by contestants should not offend the moral standards of the community nor be in bad taste. Academic coaches should revise or reject all selections that in any way fail to meet these qualifications.
(9) Bibliographic Information. Students are urged to take to the contest site the original published source of the selection and/or add bibliographic information for selections in the form of a footnote on their manuscript copy indicating the sources of the material and the page numbers from which the selection was taken. This information is not to be confused with the documentation requirement of categories A and B.
(10) Introductions. An introduction is required in both categories. The introduction and/or commentary during the performance should include the name of the poet(s) and the selection(s) to be performed and should prepare the audience to listen to the selection(s). The introduction should reflect spontaneity, though it should be prepared ahead of time.
(11) Manuscripts or Copies. The contestant should perform the selections reading from manuscripts or copies of the selections that are in a folder or notebook. Students shall not read from books or magazines or perform without a manuscript or copy of the selection.
(12) Style and Delivery. Contestants should not use costumes or props.
(A) Responsive use of the body (i.e., spontaneous changes in posture, gesture, and place-to-place movement) is permissible. However, this active use of the body should:
(i) be appropriate to the demands of the selection;
(ii) be a natural outgrowth from the literature to be performed, and
(iii) be limited in scope.
(B) Only incidental singing in the introduction and/or selection may be included.
The judge’s opinion regarding style and delivery is final. Coaches are encouraged to prepare contestants for the fact that perceptions of style and delivery will vary from judge to judge.
(13) Time Limit. The time limit for each performance including introduction and any transitional material may not exceed seven minutes. There is no grace period. See (d) below. The penalty for exceeding seven minutes is disqualification from the round by the contest director.
(d) CONDUCTING THE CONTEST.
(1) Selecting the Category. The director in charge of the contest will determine the category by chance, and, once the category is drawn, must use that category for that round. The contestants will be bound by this one category; i.e., in any one contest they will all present selections belonging to one category. The other category will be used if finals are necessary. Contestants who fail to read material from within the selected category shall be disqualified.
(2) Rooms. In conducting this contest, one room will be needed for each preliminary section, as the sections should be run simultaneously.
(3) Audiences. Students should be offered the educational opportunity to experience the variety of literature and performances available through UIL participation. Therefore, it is permissible for contestants to listen to each other during the contest. Additionally, coaches of the contestants, and anyone else interested in listening to the performers, are allowed to be in the contest room.
(4) Timekeeper and Signal Standards. A timekeeper should be provided for each contest to notify the contestants of the amount of time remaining from their total allotted time. The timekeeper should sit where they can be seen by contestants and should demonstrate before each contestant begins reading the type of time signals to be used. See Section 1003 (b) (4). The responsibility for keeping within the seven-minute time limit rests with the contestant.
(e) DUTIES OF CONTEST DIRECTOR.
(1) Sections. If more than eight contestants are entered, preliminary and final rounds shall be held. See Section 1003 (b) (1).
(2) Speaker Order. The contest director shall assign or conduct a drawing for speaker order among the contestants.
(3) Interruptions. No coaching shall be permitted during the contest. The contest director, or the monitor, shall prevent any interruption of a speaker during a contest. No cheering is to be permitted.
(4) Recording. Schools and/or individuals are prohibited from recording (audio and/or video) speech contests. The UIL reserves the right to record for educational purposes.
(5) Questions. Questions must be made to the contest director before the decision of the judges is rendered. The decisions of the meet officials in these matters are final.
(6) Judging. Judging must be by an odd number of judges or by one judge. At minimum, judges should be high school graduates. A copy of the judging instructions and category descriptors provided by the League office will be given to each judge. Contest directors are responsible for explaining these instructions and categories to the judges. Judges should be instructed not to discuss their decisions with other individuals or judges while judging a given contest. See Section 1003 (b) (2). Coaches may request copies of judging instructions from the League office.
(7) Ranking Contestants. See Section 1003 (b) (3).
(8) Unofficial Results. Until students and/or coaches have had a chance to look at the rankings and the individual evaluation sheets during the announced verification period, results should be announced as unofficial.
(9) Ballot Verification Period. See Section 1003 (b) (6). This procedure is mandatory.
(10) Official Results. See Section 1003 (b) (7).
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