Concours de récitation poétique: Results

We are pleased to announce the winners of our 2014 Concours de récitation poétique, as chosen by our panel of judges. 2014 Poetry Results Flyer.

Concours de récitation poétique: Deadlines

The number of contestants is limited, and as we are expecting a large turnout, we will abide by the following timeline. High school students must be registered by their teachers; college students may register themselves individually or their professors may register them.

• By Thursday, February 6: Email the organizer (Gretchen Angelo, gangelo2@calstatela.edu) to let me know that your school wants to participate. Indicate how many students on each level wish to participate. Last year was our inaugural contest and we did not limit the number from each school, but since we are expecting a greater turnout this year, we may have to limit it to 2 or 3 students per level per school. At this stage, you should submit the full number of your students who want to participate, because it is possible that on some or all levels, we will have no restrictions; if it turns out that we do not have room for all, this timeline will allow you to hold elimination contests within your classes to choose your school's representatives.
  
• By Friday, February 7: Teachers will be notified of number of contestants allowed per school and the precise timeline of competition.


• By Wednesday, February 19: Teachers must submit the exact names of contestants, so that I can prepare the participation certificates.

Concours de récitation poétique: Divisions and Schedule

Students will read in order of level, as follows:

1. French 2 HS students
2. French 3 HS students
3. French AP students
4. Lower-division college students
5. Upper-division college students

Native or near-native French speakers are not eligible to compete for prizes in these divisions. Teachers are responsible for informing me if any student is native or near-native; if there are sufficient numbers, we may be able to have a separate division for them.

Event schedule.
(Schedule depends in part on how quickly students read and whether there are any no-shows; students are encouraged to attend the entire event. The following times are estimates only; students who have not arrived by the start of their level will not be allowed to compete in their division, although they may still read their poem hors concours.)

10:00 ∼ 11:30 Hors concours readings, French 2 and French 3 competitions
11:00 ∼ 12:30 Hors concours readings, AP French and college competitions
12:30 ∼ 2:00 Conclusion of readings, Refreshments, Judges' conference, Award ceremony

Judging Criteria

Students will be judged on diction, clarity, and expression. The following factors will be considered:

Pronunciation
voyelles orales et nasales; e muet; semi-voyelles; consonnes; détente finale; R;
enchainement et liaisons; intonation et rythme

Performance
volume; contact visuel; gestes; présence; compréhension du texte; versification; créativité

Prizes

The sponsoring organizations -- CSULA Department of Modern Languages and Literatures; MCLASC, the Modern and Classical Language Association of Southern California; and AATF-SC, the American Association of Teachers of French - Southern California Chapter-- have generously funded the contest including the venue, refreshments, and certificates for all participants, as well as some prizes. We are also very grateful to local businesses and cultural organizations who have donated additional prizes for the winners.

There will be at least one winner on each of the above levels; second- and third-place prizes as well as honorable mentions will be awarded on levels with sufficient numbers of participants and meritorious performances.
Our prizes include:

• $50 Gift Certificate donated by Taix French Restaurant
• Two tickets to Tartuffe donated by A Noise Within
• Two guest passes donated by the Huntington
• Hardcover graphic novels by French authors translated into English, donated by the publisher Humanoids, Inc.
• Sunday brunch for two donated by Maison Akira ($78 value)
• Two tickets to a performance of Villon donated by Padua Playwrights
• Book gift certificates donated by MCLASC and CSULA Department of MLL
• Two tickets to any film showing at the Egyptian or Aero theatre, donated by the American Cinematheque
• Special gift basket from the AATF-SC, including a week's pass donated by the COLCOA film festival, a book of French poetry, and a restaurant certificate donated by an AATF member!

and more!

Preparing your students

There are many ways to prepare your students to participate in the poetry contest. For example:

• Make poetry part of the curriculum;
• Model poems' reading for them, paying attention to all the items listed in the rubric
• Analyze the texts carefully so they have a good understanding of what they will be reading
• Give extra credit to students willing to participate, whatever their level of success
• Remind them that it looks good on college and scholarship applications
• Make sure they pick a text that matches their proficiency
• Have them practice in groups and individually
• Organize mock or runoff contests in the classroom
• Have students take turns judging each other's performances
• Make sure that the whole school is aware of your competition

For some sample classroom activities and techniques for using poetry in high school classes, download my presentation on "La poésie en cours de lycée" from the MCLASC 2013 Jamboree.

Choosing a poem

Students may take a copy of their poem to the podium, but delivery is vastly improved when the poem has been memorized through practice.

We recommend that high school and lower-division college students choose a 14-24 line poem; third- and fourth-year college students, if they wish, may select a slightly longer poem, of 24-48 verses. The length of the poem is unimportant if the poem is well-delivered.

Advice to students: Choose a poem that you enjoy and that has some meaning for you. The better you understand your poem, the better your delivery will be, so you might want to search for a translation, a commentary, etc. You can also find youtube videos of poems; listen to a few versions of your chosen poem both to improve your pronunciation and to get a sense of how different deliveries change the impact of the poem. The lists below are given in rough chronological order, and are only examples of some of the best-known French poems and poets from each period. I have provided links to a number of different types of sites, from simple texts to commentaries and recitations with music and video.

Les Grands Classiques and 2014 Theme

Students may choose any poem, and it is great to see the variety of poems chosen. These lists are intended for teachers and students who are not sure where to start. All of these poems are lovely in recitation and highlight the sonority of the French language. The second group of poems is recommended only for advanced students because of their length or complexity, but a longer poem is not automatically a better choice; the poems in the first group are classics that could be delivered beautifully by students at either level.

Classic poems for intermediate students, listed chronologically

• Ronsard: "A Cassandre" ("Mignonne, allons voir...")
• Chenier, "Sans parents, sans amis..."
• Nerval, "Fantaisie"
• Hugo, "Demain, dès l'aube"
• Baudelaire, "Invitation au voyage"
• Verlaine, "Ariette oubliée 3" ("Il pleure dans mon coeur")
• Rimbaud, "Sensation"
• Apollinaire, "Le pont Mirabeau"

Classic poems for advanced students, listed chronologically

• Louise Labé, Sonnet 8 ou 14
• DuBellay, "Heureux qui comme Ulysse ..."
• Hugo, "Exil"
• Lamartine, "La fenetre de la maison paternelle"
• Leconte de Lisle, "Solvet Seclum"
• Nerval, "Vers dorés"
• Baudelaire, "La chevelure"
• Aragon, "Les mains d'Elsa"

2014 Theme Each year we offer links to poems on a specific theme, in order to give repeat contestants or teachers some ideas for new poems. Our 2014 theme is Liberté. Some specific suggested poems:

• Paul Éluard, "Liberté"
• Rimbaud, "Aube"
• Théophile Gautier, "Far-Niente"
• Éluard, "Un oiseau s'envole"
• Baudelaire, "L'appel du large"
• Boris Vian, "L'évadé"
• Andrée Chédid, "L'espérance"
• Joachim du Bellay, "J'aime la liberté"

Previous Contest Winners:

Winners in the 2014 French Poetry Recitation Contest

Winners in the 2013 French Poetry Recitation Contest

News Release about 2013 College Division Winner