Submitted information | For The Arkadelphian
FAYETTEVILLE — Writing “the best words in the best order,” as Samuel Taylor Coleridge defined poetry, has brought success and recognition to several young Arkansas poets.
The state’s new poet laureate, Suzanne Underwood Rhodes, is pleased to announce the winners of the “Yum’s the Word (Because Words Are Delicious)” poetry contest that she initiated as her first project for homeschooled students, grades 1-12.
“I’m impressed with the poetic skill of these young people–their creative word magic, originality, and the ability to transform everyday experiences into extraordinary ones,” Rhodes said. “Contestants had the option to choose among three topics: My favorite quiet place in Arkansas, Something special about my grandmother or grandfather, and My favorite family feast.”
Here are the winners:
Grades 1-5
First place
Elinor Johnson, 9, from Arkadelphia, for her poem “Sugar, Soda, and Summer.”
Second place
Marcus Atkinson, 10, from Harrison, for “The Stand.”
Third place
Augustus Johnson, 6, from Arkadelphia for “How to Become a Grandpa.”
Honorable mention
Katherine Wright, 10, from Hot Springs for “Friday Night Dinner”
Grades 6-12
First place
Emma Wright, 13, from Hot Springs for “Friday Night Dinner”
Second place
Ava Hickman, 16, from Harrison, for “Memorial Stone”
Third place
Katherine Johnson, 12, from Arkadelphia for “The Woods and White Sand Creek”
Honorable mention
Hannah Williams, 17, from Maumelle, for “Room of Resonance”
The winners will receive certificates and cash prizes, and the first-place winners will meet with Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson this fall.
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