Arlington Public Library hosted an estimated 80 people at the Improv in south Arlington to celebrate the culmination of the library's 12-week poetry workshop.

The Teen Lit Poetry Slam allowed teens to experience first-hand how to grace the stage to perform a work of classical poetry and an original work of their own. The goal of this program is to empower teens through poetry and spoken word through the use of a literacy-based curriculum that combines classical literature and spoken word.

The Arlington Library's Teen Lit Poetry Slam workshop first began with teens reading the works of classical poets from Maya Angelou, Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickinson, and Pablo Neruda to modern songwriters like Iggy Azalea and Tupac Shakur.

During the workshop, they read a brief biography of the artist, selected a poem or song from their body of work, and wrote down what emotions and story that the artist was trying to convey in the piece. The purpose of the first part of this workshop was to help teens develop a better understanding of all the different ways they can convey emotion in their own original pieces.

The second part of the workshop welcomed Poetry Slam Master and creator of the DFW Brave New Voices Youth Slams Mike Guinn. He helped the teens open up so they could write their feelings and their truth in poetry form. Guinn also helped them improve their confidence as a way of preparing them for a live stage performance in front of an audience.

During the recent celebration, Mike Guinn introduced two very talented youth poets, Malik Gratts and Ashton Williams, to the crowd. A few moments later, Margaret Garrett, popular poet and Boles Junior High School Librarian, recited a poem about the importance of continuing to write no matter what.

Next, the Teen Lit crew read from a classic poem they selected before the event. Some of the poems read where, "I Cry" by Tupac Shakur and "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes.

Arlington Library teens really shined during the poetry slam portion of the event, showcasing their own original work and, in some cases, performed music for the audience. Teen Zone's very own James Taylor and Cedric Davis performed their own original songs for the crowd.

"The program gave me inspiration to write more about my true feelings and to be more outspoken in life," said Rachelle Penarreta, one of the Teen Lit participants.

Congratulations to the teens for showing the courage to perform on on stage in front of a live audience. The teens that weren't able to make it should also be commended for sticking it out for those 12 weeks.